Blood Safety

Blood is an intrinsic requirement for health care and proper functioning of the health system. NACO has been primarily responsible for ensuring provision of safe blood for the country since 1992. NACO supports a network of 1131 blood banks across the country in over 600 districts and strives to achieve accessibility to adequate quantity of safe, quality and affordable blood and blood components to the needy.

Government of India adopted the National Blood Policy in April 2002 which aims to develop a nationwide system to ensure easy access to adequate and safe and good quality blood supply. Supreme Court judgment of 1996 for CWP 91/1992 mandated creating of National Blood Transfusion Council and removal of professional blood donation. National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC), the apex policy making body for issues pertaining to blood and plasma is a part of National AIDS Control Organization.

Key Strategies

• Assessing blood needs and requirements of the country.
• Increasing regular voluntary non-remunerated blood donation to meet the safe blood requirements of the country.
• Promoting component preparation and availability along with rational use of blood in healthcare facilities.
• Capacity building of health care providers.
• Enhancing blood access through a well networked centrally coordinated, efficient and self sufficient blood transfusion service.
• Establishing Quality Management Systems to ensure Safe Blood.
• Building implementation structures and referral linkages.