Mumbai: Three-day licence suspension orders issued by the FDA against the blood banks at JJ and BYL Nair hospitals on Tuesday were stayed late the same evening after the intervention of FDA minister Narhari Zirwal. The FDA had taken action as watches had been gifted to donors at a blood donation drive organised in the city in April by a private group on the occasion of a corporate bigwig’s birthday.Offering monetary or material incentives to donors is a violation of voluntary blood donation norms.The two hospitals were participants in the camp and stated that they had raised concerns during the event itself, receiving assurances from the organisers – the Young Star Committee, part of the annual Altamont Road Cha Raja celebrations – that freebies would not be distributed.The Red Cross Blood Bank was also a participant in the drive. FDA officials conducted inspections at all three blood banks in late August and September, during which they found documentation and record-keeping discrepancies.Dr Shailesh Mohite, dean of Nair Hospital, said the hospitals were abruptly informed on Tuesday afternoon that their blood bank licences would be suspended.FDA officials said that when they cross-checked with donors, many confirmed receiving the watches.JJ Hospital officials said they refuse participation in such camps and that the incident occurred despite assurances, entirely without their knowledge.Dr Mohite said, “We perform close to 50 surgeries a day, and people travel from far-off villages to reach us. Lack of signatures on a document cannot justify shutting down the blood bank of a tertiary care municipal or govt hospital,” he said, adding such extreme measures are only warranted in the event of major infection control lapses.Throughout Tuesday, Dr Mohite attempted to explain the disruption the suspension of licences would cause patients and flagged the number of surgeries scheduled for the next couple of days. “The officials were unwilling to listen, and we were told nothing could be done,” he said.The hospital deans then got in touch with the minister, Zirwal. Dr Mohite said, “He (Zirwal) listened to us and understood the issue, after which the suspension was stayed. The action was severely disproportionate to violations pointed out.”FDA officials defended the action and said rules apply equally to govt and private facilities even as they acknowledged that the violations were minor. An official said, “This is in the long-term interest of patients, to prevent a trend where blood donors expect gifts for a life-saving act.”
