Transfusion Medicine
Overview
The Department of Transfusion Medicine provides clinical services to support patients in need of blood component therapy, cellular therapy, and specialized laboratory diagnostics. The Blood Transfusion services were set up in the year 2007 (licence number- 1823-B). This department provides round the clock service ensuring safe and appropriate transfusion for each patient who needs it. The functioning of the Blood Bank right from screening of donors to issue of blood is governed by a DGHS Manual of Standard Operating Procedure that incorporates the best practices in the country. The department receives blood from more than 10,000 donors per year. 97% of the collection is processed into blood components. Our blood centre has been a leader in performing various technological advances that increase the safety of transfusion such as column-based grouping and compatibility testing, antibody screening, ECI electrochemiluminescence testing for HIV, HBV, HCV and Syphilis.
Multiple indoor and outdoor blood donation camps are organised. Continuous public awareness programs on voluntary blood donation are conducted. On an average of 60 blood and blood components are issued to patients of this hospital.
The blood donors who are identified positively in the screening tests are being notified and called back, counselled and referred for further medical advice.
The Blood centre runs internal and External Quality EQAS program.
We are actively participating in Hemovigilance Program of India (Hvpi), Ministry of Health and Family welfare, India.
The Blood Centre is among 21 institutes in India that participated in the clinical trial of covid -19 convalescent plasma therapy, the “PLACID” trial conducted by ICMR during pandemic.
The Blood centre received top performing blood centre award twice by Punjab State Blood Transfusion council, Department of health and Family Welfare, Govt of Punjab in Year 2021 & 2025.
Facilities
The department is equipped with state of the art equipment installed in the department incommensurate with technological advances in blood component preparation and immuno-haematology. Facilities include state of the art blood bank refrigerators, plasma freezers, deep freezers, blood component separation refrigerated centrifuge, fully automated Chemiluniscence for transfusion transmitted infections testing of donor blood, fully automated component extractor for Leukoreduced blood and sterile connection device to aid in paediatric low volume product separation, blood collection monitors and tube sealers. In addition, we have the facility for mobile blood collection Van, counselling of Blood Donors and sending reactive donors to ICTC for further follow up and management
Services
The department prepares and issues the following blood components:
- Red cell Concentrate
- Platelet Concentrate
- Fresh frozen plasma
- Leukoreduced Red cell concentrate
- Leukoreduced Platelet concentrate
- Leukoreduced Fresh Frozen Plasma
- Single donor Platelet concentrate
Special investigation like
- Antibody screening
- Antibody identification
- Direct Coombs test
- Indirect Coombs test
- Evaluation of feto-maternal blood group incompatibility
- Work up of immune haemolytic anaemias
And services like
- Therapeutic phlebotomy for patients with Polycythaemia.
- Collection of autologous platelet-rich plasma and
- Platelet-poor plasma
Free blood is supplied to Thalassemia patients, Sickle cell
patients, Aplastic anemia, Pingalwara patients.
The mission of the Department of Transfusion Medicine is to provide high-quality blood and blood products in support of hospital services and in support of clinical research programs, to pursue research that contributes to our knowledge and practice of transfusion medicine and related technologies.
