World Safest Blood at Shija Blood Bank
6th February 2013
A fully-automated, US-FDA approved, NAT blood screening system at Shija Hospital blood bank
Shija Blood Bank and Transfusion Services, a PPP model blood bank funded by NEC, Shillong and Government of Manipur and managed by Shija Healthcare and Research Institute, Imphal has today installed the first Automated Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology in Eastern India. The machine is the first of its kind in the whole of Eastern India. Shija Blood Bank and Transfusion Services is thereby the most advanced Blood Bank in the region rendering the safest blood to the populace of the region.
Screening of donor blood with Nucleic Acid Technology (NAT) has brought a new revolution in the testing of Infectious disease in the modern blood banking in aiding early diagnosis of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. The current conventional test procedures such as ELISA identify these deadly viruses only after a period of 30 to 90 days post infection. This period, in medical terms, is called the ‘window period’ where laboratory tests cannot determine the presence of antibodies against these infections.
Thus unknowingly, there are chances of transfusing the infected blood to the patients. With the advanced NAT test, it helps to directly detect the DNA/RNA of the viruses, within 6-8 days, thus helping bridge this window period and greatly reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections.
A fully-automated, US-FDA approved, NAT blood screening system at Shija Hospital blood bank is the FIRST SUCH INSTALLATION IN EASTERN INDIA. The fully automation molecular NAT Testing, can reduce chances of human errors and also facilitate testing of a huge number of samples at one go, with great ease. With automation and ease of use, the cobas s201 NAT system, encourages centralization and combining workload of other local blood banks within the region, to use this test to their advantage. This is also the only machine currently available that can also screen for HIV-2 (which is also prevalent in the Indian population) along with HIV 1, HBV and HCV. The entire testing is well monitored at every step to ensure accurate results.
The spread of these fatal diseases through transfusion is a serious matter of concern as each and every donated blood is further divided into components such as red blood cells, platelets, plasma and so on. This means that an infected blood can affect as much as 2-3, different patients and can further spread in a chain process. Hence an efficient testing protocol and implementation of sophisticated technologies such as NAT is the only answer to ensure further safety.
Any new, improved technology will come with a certain cost. Shija Hospital blood bank will make NAT tested safe blood available to its patients at its economical best. Considering the prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in the region, NAT is all the more important.
Shija Blood Bank and Transfusion Services today offers Blood components including Leucodepleted Blood which is ideal for paediatric and kidney patients.
(Santosh Shekhar)
Asst. General Manager- Business Development
Shija Hospitals and Research Institute Pvt. Ltd.
Langol
Imphal- 795001
Manipur State
Phone: +91- 385- 2414214, 2414252, 2413163
Fax: +91- 385- 2412018
Website: www.shijahospitals.com
* This info was sent by Santosh Shekhar (Asst. General Manager, Shija Hospitals and Research Institute) who can be contacted at santosh_07(at)yahoo(dot)com
This Press Release was posted on February 06, 2013.
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