Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 9: The state government Thursday launched the much awaited the Nucleic Amplification Test (NAT) facility at Capital Hospital’s blood bank here under the public-private partnership mode with Roche Diagnostics (India).
The NAT project, which was launched by health and family welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, enables screening of blood to reduce the risk of transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) in people receiving the blood.
There is a shortage of 3 million units of blood against the annual need of 12 million units in the state, according to experts of the World Health Organisation. In such a situation, if emphasis is not laid on the quality of blood used for transfusion and if blood screening is not done with NAT technology or if the transfusion procedure is unsafe, life-saving blood can lead to life-threatening ‘transfusion transmitted infections’ (TTI), besides causing other serious adverse reactions.
“After the launch of this modern facility we can be assured that people of the state will have access to safe blood in state blood banks,” said the health minister.
Earlier this week, the state government in partnership with Roche Diagnostics India, had already launched NAT facility at VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla. This marked the introduction of NAT technology in the state.
Nayak said similar facilities will also be launched at SCB Medical College and Hospital Cuttack Friday and at MKCG Medical College and Hospital Berhampur shortly.
The state government also issued a fresh order that the cost of the test, which is `750 per unit of blood, will be borne by the state government instead of the recipients.