‘Donors got mixer grinders, cash’: blood banks in Bengal under scanner over ‘illegal’ sale to other States
Health Department officials in West Bengal are investigating six blood banks for allegedly selling blood illegally to private entities in other states, violating the National Blood Policy. Raids conducted over the past two weeks uncovered large quantities of plasma sold to locations in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat, prompting restrictions on 11 blood banks from organizing donation drives. Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee reported instances of donors receiving gifts like mixer grinders and cash, which is prohibited under donation regulations.