Blood at hospitals or private banks and centres is “not for sale” but the institutions are allowed a “processing charge”. All other fees are to be waived off too as processing charge covers them, India’s health regulator has said.

The move is seen as one that aims at clamping down on a very prevalent practice of over-charging across hospitals and private blood banks.

“..... it was opined that blood is not for sale, it is only for supply and only processing cost may be charged by the blood centre,” the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) said in a notice, reviewed by businessline.

The health regulator said the decision was taken based on the 62nd meeting of the Drugs Consultative Committee held in September last year. It mentioned that the committee noted that there was “overcharging” for blood.

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The General Practice

Hospitals and private blood banks across India are known to charge additionally for per unit of blood if there is no corresponding blood donation. The amount so charged is anywhere between ₹2,000 and ₹10,000 per unit. In case of rare blood types, charges are often higher. This is a general practice across the country.

However, a patient pays processing charges irrespective of whether corresponding donations are made or not.

Processing charges, which are regulated, are around ₹250–1,550 for blood or components at private or non-government centres. For instance, while dispensing packets of whole blood and packed red blood cells the charges are ₹1,550; in case of fresh frozen plasma and platelets, the charges are ₹400; and cryoprecitipitate ₹250.

In government hospitals, these processing charges are lower and ranges between ₹200 and ₹1,100, across components such as white blood cells, red blood cells, frozen plasma and platelets.

There are also very specific processing charges on various blood tests.

In a letter to various States, the CDSCO asked its regional branches to “direct all blood centres” under their jurisdiction “to adhere to the revised guidelines for 2022, for recovery of processing charges for blood and blood components.”

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