Andhra revises processing charges for blood, frozen plasma: Check new rates

Andhra Pradesh health department has directed all the blood banks to revise processing charges of blood and its components as per new guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The processing charges for one unit of whole blood or packed red cells have been fixed at Rs 1,100 at government blood centers, while Rs 1,550 can be charged at private centers.

Similarly, Rs 400 will be collected for a unit of fresh frozen plasma or platelet concentres at private centers and 300 at public institutions. Processing charges have also been fixed for various other tests, components, and processes like ELISA HBsAg, anti-HBc, antibody screening, leukofiltration-RBC, bacterial detection, and platelets (apheresis), etc.

Special secretary, health and family welfare department, GS Naveen Kumar, said all blood banks have been told to strictly adhere to these rates. "They should publish and display it clearly through their notice boards. Any deviation will be strictly viewed by the health department. Complaints of any corruption can be reported to 14,400, he added.

The guidelines also made it mandatory for all the blood centers to provide blood and blood components at free of cost to patients suffering from thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, and any other blood dyscrasia that requires repeated blood transfusions.

The state government may additionally decide to provide blood/blood components at free of cost to any other category according to their norms.