NAT Screening at Shija Hospitals for Cordlife
Milestone in medical history of NE India

22nd April 2014

NAT Screening at Shija Hospitals for Cordlife

It is a moment of pride for the state of Manipur that Shija Blood Bank and Transfusion Services, Manipur has started receiving blood samples for NAT (Nucleic Acid Test) from Cordlife India, Kolkata. It is a subsidiary of Cordlife Group Limited with its headquarter in Singapore with global presence. Shija has received 726 blood samples so far for screening of HIV, Hepatitis B and C. Reports of the screening are immediately informed after the screening is completed. The Company is AABB (American Association of Blood Bank) accredited and operates the most advanced umbilical cord blood (Stem Cells) processing, testing and cryopreservation facility in the country.

In an attempt to brand NE India as ‘High Tech and Safe’ healthcare destination for medical tourism, Shija Blood Bank and Transfusion Services installed NAT- Cobas S 201 from Roche Diagnostics, USA to cater the services of all the blood banks in NE India. This is the only fully automated NAT equipment in the world and can cater the services of the entire NE India. The unit installed at Shija Blood Bank and Transfusion Services is the first in Eastern India.

The installation is on rental and Roche has chosen Shija as it is of NE India regional character. The cost of the machine is estimated to be more than rupees three crores. Shija Blood Bank is established on PPP model with the contribution from NEC, Government of Manipur and Shija Hospitals, Langol by developing infrastructure and other equipments to supply the safest blood in the region. The Shija Blood bank is relevant especially in Manipur where the prevalence of HIV and HCV is already high and also international border state.

NAT is considered as the most advanced technology for screening HIV I & II, Hepatitis C and B Virus and can detect the virus as early as 6-9 days of the exposure of the donor compared to about 30 days by other conventional tests. NAT at Shija Blood Bank is used for the purpose of screening the donated blood only and not for testing HIV.

NAT is mandatory for blood before transfusion in all the developed countries such as USA, UK, New Zealand, Brazil, Singapore etc to prevent Transfusion Transmitted Infection.

With the adoption of NAT, Shija Blood Bank and Transfusion Services today delivers the safest blood in the world. There has been incidence of detecting 6 units of blood which were negative in conventional way of screening and positive when screened upon NAT. In the absence of NAT the said blood would have been transfused to patients which in turn would have infected them. If it were given as components the blood could have been transfused to multiples of 3, in this case 18 blood recipients would have been infected.

Proposal to make NAT mandatory for all blood before transfusion in the state for safety has been submitted to the Government of Manipur. Honorable Chief Minister of Manipur has assured to take a policy decision on the same. There is a request to the government, on the proposal, to kindly sponsor the cost of NAT also (Rs 1500/- Rupees One Thousand and Five Hundred) to avoid the burden to the poor. The proposal is currently with the Health Department, Govt. of Manipur. Similar proposals have been submitted to Government of Nagaland for sending the samples of Blood collected at their blood banks for NAT. Other states of NE India will be approached to avail of the facility available in Manipur.

It is now the responsibility of the region to elevate its own safety and high tech brand image to the world by rendering the best service available at present.

(Dr. Kh Palin)
Chairman cum- Managing Director
Shija Hospitals and Research Institute
Langol, Imphal , Manipur, INDIA 795004
Ph +91 385 Ph : 385 2414214, 2414252, 2413005, 24163142
Fax : 91 385 2412018
www.shijahospitals.com