BHUBANESWAR: Nine years after the high court had in July 2011 asked Odisha to carry out pre-transfusion blood screening in all blood banks using the NAT PCR technology, along with the usual ELISA test, the government has done so in only six of the 57 blood banks in the state. It plans to expand the technology in seven other blood banks soon.
Sources said the government was planning to introduce NAT PCR in blood banks in Bargarh, Balangir, Balasore, Baripada, Koraput, Jeypore and Jharsuguda. The technology is already available in two blood banks each in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar and the blood banks in Berhampur and Burla (Sambalpur).