Common price policy for blood to be introduced

Common price policy for blood to be introduced

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 7, 2012 : A set of new guidelines, which will be issued soon, will make sure that private hospitals across Mangalore, will allow holders of Red Cross cards to purchase blood from the Red Cross Blood Bank, instead of being forced to purchase it from the hospital’s blood bank. A common price policy for blood will also be introduced.

DC Dr. N. S. Channappa Gowda made the above announcement after the annual general body meeting of the district unit of the Indian Red Cross Society, which was held at the DC’s office, on Aug 6, Monday. Members of the Red Cross Society alleged that private hospitals do not allow holders of Red Cross cards to purchase blood from the Red Cross Blood Bank, as a result of which the above decision was taken.

The DC also announced that the blood bank at Athena Hospital will soon be moved to Lady Goschen Hospital and will become functional from September 1 and will be managed by the medical staff at Lady Goschen. So far, the blood bank was functioning at Athena Hospital, owing to lack of space at Lady Goschen, but now that the hospital has been renovated, the blood bank can be moved to Lady Goschen, he added.

Hanumanth Kamath, member of the Red Cross Society, complained that private hospitals charge too high for blood when compared to the cost of blood at government hospitals. While government hospitals charge only Rs. 700 for blood, private hospitals charge Rs. 1,200 for the same, he said, demanding that this practice must be stopped. The DC said that the new guidelines will also introduce a uniform price policy for blood.

During the meeting, Vishnumurthy and N. G. Mohan alleged that office bearers were not appointed according to the constitutional framework of the Red Cross Society, a statement that caused a heated argument between the members and the office bearers. The members alleged that elections have not been held for the past 5 years, adding that the president was nominated and not elected according to the constitution of the society. They demanded that the committee must be elected as per the guidelines of the constitution.

Dr. Shantharam Shetty, president of the society, expressed his willingness for a re-election at any time and said that he will write to the electoral officer requesting an election at the earliest possible.