Thaindian News

Lucknow, Aug 28 (IANS) Contaminated and sub-standard blood was being administered to patients by some private blood banks suspected to be involved in a major racket busted by the Uttar Pradesh Police, sources said.
This was revealed in a report submitted to the government by the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) here Friday.

Six people, including an anaesthetist from the state-run Balrampur Hospital, were arrested in connection with the racket, being run with the connivance of several well-known private blood banks and doctors.

A detailed examination of the blood, seized by the authorities from a private nursing home run illegally by a government doctor had revealed that very poor quality blood with extremely low levels of haemoglobin was being supplied to patients in different hospitals.

Most of the samples were found to be have a mere 4-5 gm of haemoglobin, while some of the samples were found to be infected, according a source.

The blood seized by the police with fake labels of the state’s largest blood bank at King George’s Medical College (KGMC) were sent for detailed examination to the SGPGIMS.

While SGPGIMS officials were tight-lipped about their findings, it is learnt that the tests revealed large scale adulteration of blood with saline water. “Mixing saline water leads to further dilution of the already low haemoglobin blood,” said a senior KGMC pathologist.

Lucknow’s Superintendent of Police (City) Paresh Pandey, who was responsible for busting the racket, had initially said he suspected animal blood was being mixed with human blood. Later, it was realised that the blood was being diluted with saline water.