A prominent advocacy group for thalassemia patients emphasized the urgent need for a unified blood law to streamline and enhance transfusion services across India. The group argues that such a law would ensure a consistent supply of safe blood, improve the quality of care for patients, and address the current inefficiencies and disparities in the system.
Encouraged by the Law Ministry’s initiative to modernize India’s legal and regulatory framework from its colonial remnants, Deepak Chopra, President of Thalassemics India, and Anubha Taneja-Mukherjee, Member Secretary of the Thalassemia Patients Advocacy Group, met with Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Union Minister for Law and Justice.
During this meeting, they submitted a representation advocating for a comprehensive blood law in the country.
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The representation highlights the outdated nature of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1945, which currently governs blood transfusion services in India, but fails to address critical issues such as blood screening methodologies.
It also urges the full implementation of the 1996 Common Cause Judgment, which envisioned a separate legislation for blood. The Hon’ble Union Minister acknowledged the importance of such legislation in preventing transfusion-transmitted infections like HIV, especially for frequent recipients such as thalassemia patients.
Thalassemia poses a major health challenge in India, impacting numerous individuals and families. This inherited blood disorder necessitates ongoing medical care and a robust healthcare strategy to manage and reduce its effects.
Despite progress in medical science and various initiatives to address the disorder, many thalassemia patients continue to struggle due to insufficient awareness, delayed diagnosis, and inadequate treatment facilities.
The Thalassemia Advocacy Group‘s urges for a unified blood law seeks to establish a more equitable and reliable transfusion service system across India. This initiative is vital not only for thalassemia patients but also for all individuals requiring blood transfusions.
It aims to significantly improve the nation’s healthcare infrastructure and patient outcomes.