Role and Functions of National Blood Transfusion Council

The National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) is a society registered under the societies registration act. It is a representative body having representation from the Directorate General of Health Services, Drug Controller General of India Govt. of India, representatives from Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India, Indian Red Cross Society, major medical institutions in the country, representatives from private blood banks & N.G.O. run blood banks under the presidentship of the Additional secretary & project director NACO. The NBTC is the policy formulating apex body for all matters pertaining to the organisation, operation, standards and training of a sustainable and safe blood transfusion service for the country. The responsibilities of NBTC encompass:

The management of the affairs of the Council shall be entrusted to the Governing Body. The Governing Body shall have the power to constitute the Executive Committee as here under:

Administrative

• Developing a mechanism for better coordination between NBTC and SBTC and compliance by SBTC of decisions taken by NBTC.
• Identifying and/or assisting in establishing institutions for research and development in the field of transfusion services.
• Taking appropriate steps to increase the availability of plasma fractions as per the need of the country through expanding the capacity of existing centre and facilitating in establishing new centres.
• Developing policies for levying service charge for blood and blood products.
• Developing a management information system for networking of transfusion services in the country.
• Providing technical, financial and managerial assistance to SBTC as needed to implement the national blood programme.
• Appeals and applications for money and funds in furtherance of the objectives of the NBTC and to accept for the aforesaid purpose gifts, donations, contributions, grants, financial assistances and subscriptions of cash and securities of any property whether movable or immovable from individuals or organisations.
• Creation of administrative, technical and ministerial and other posts under the society and to make appointments thereto in accordance with the rules and regulations of the societies.
• Printing, publishing and exhibiting any papers, posters, pamphlets, periodicals and books for furtherance of the objects of the NBTC.
• Providing guidelines for ensuring non-profit cost recovery as well as subsidised system for blood & blood components.
• Doing all such lawful things as are conducive or incidental to attainment to the objects of the National Council.
• Attending to matters related to property and financial issues as related to the NBTC.
• Preparing guidelines for management of blood supply during disasters.
• Involving other ministries and other health programmes for all activities related to BTS.

National and International Linkages

• Exchange of information and expertise with other institutions, associations, societies and international organisations engaged and interested in the subjects similar to those of the NBTC.
• Encourage inter and intra country exchange programmes for training and experience of personnel associated with blood banks to improve their quality.

Quality Assurance

• Developing a comprehensive quality management system for the BTS including EQAS/ accreditation, appropriate infrastructure and personnel.
• Defining and documenting specifications and standards for equipment and consumables for blood centres identifying referral laboratories and establishing linkages to BTS.
• Identifying a centre of national repute of quality control of indigenous as well as imported consumables, reagents and plasma products.

Training & Research

• Training of Technicians, drug inspectors, donor motivators and medical officers in relation to all operations of blood centres.
• Initiating steps for starting special PG courses in transfusion medicine in various medical colleges and institutions in the country.
• Advocate with Medical Council of India to Incorporate transfusion medicine as one of the subjects in the existing courses for para medical personnel viz. Nurses, Technicians and Pharmacists.
• Advocate with Medical Council of India to introduce transfusion medicine as a subject in undergraduate and postgraduate courses and include transfusion medicine as one of the subjects in calculating credit hours for renewal of medical registration, if introduced..
• Introducing multi centric research initiatives on issues related to BTS.
• Creating a technical resource core group to coordinate research and development in the country.
• Developing guidelines to define NGO run blood centres so as avoid profiteering in blood banking.