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‘Want 100% safe blood’: Maharashtra doctors urge NAT screening for risk-free transfusions

Maharashtra experts call for a decisive policy change to ensure safe blood transfusions, highlighting the risk to thalassaemia patients.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Dec 3, 2025 06:52 PM IST

Doctors urged 100% safe blood via NAAT screening to reduce the window period for infections like HIV. (Source: Express Archives)

From the moment a child is diagnosed with thalassaemia, life becomes a cycle of relentless medical interventions: blood transfusions at least twice a month, chelation therapy to combat iron overload, and in some cases, surgeries such as splenectomy just to maintain basic health. Add to this the fear of contracting transfusion-transmitted infections such as Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, or HIV. It is with these risks in mind that a growing number of experts in Maharashtra are calling for a decisive policy change to ensure safe blood transfusions.

“Every unit of blood released from blood banks should be screened using Nucleic Amplification Test (NAT),” Dr Poornima Rao, Secretary, Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohaematology, Maharashtra chapter, told The Indian Express. “This is essential to prevent seropositivity post blood transfusion,” she added.

Dr Nita Munshi, President, Thalassaemia Society, Pune chapter, also made a strong case for NAT-screened blood transfusions for all children with thalassaemia major. “Throughout their lives, these medical challenges add profound emotional trauma on top of the already overwhelming physical, psychological, social, and financial burdens,” Dr Munshi said. “We want 100 per cent safe blood,” Ramesh Arora, Vice-President, Thalassaemia Society, added.

‘Children with thalassaemia are particularly vulnerable’

According to Dr Munshi, approximately 10,000 children are born with thalassemia major in India each year, and they require lifelong blood transfusions. The government provides these free of charge and has strengthened regulations for blood banks, making the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections extremely low.

During the first year of life, transfusions are given once a month, gradually increasing to once every three weeks. By the age of five, children typically receive transfusions at least twice a month, with the volume of blood adjusted according to their weight.

“This is a genetic disorder in which a child inherits two mutated genes, one from each parent. Children born with thalassaemia major usually develop symptoms of severe anaemia within the first year of life. Apart from chronic fatigue due to the inability to produce normal adult haemoglobin, repeated blood transfusions can lead to iron buildup in the organs. Daily medication is required to manage this excess iron and prevent complications,” she said.

Dr Munshi observed that with a strict regimen of antiretroviral therapy, the HIV viral load can be effectively suppressed and highlighted one case that involved a child who was dependent on transfusions and contracted HIV at the age of nine. “Testing revealed the viral load in the blood, but with a disciplined medication routine and careful management, the child was able to lead a near-normal life. He is 35 and doing well,” she noted.

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However, there are tragic cases where patients can succumb to secondary infections, she said. “Children with thalassaemia have weakened immune systems and are particularly vulnerable to secondary infections such as tuberculosis or fungal diseases. Managing these conditions often increases the pill burden, with daily medications rising from two to six tablets to address iron overload. HIV infection can further complicate matters by lowering platelet counts and causing anaemia,” Dr Munshi pointed out.

“Our vision is a Thalassaemia Mukt Bharat by 2035, and hence, prevention is important,” she added.

‘Can reduce HIV transmission’

NAT screening at blood banks can reduce HIV transmission by shortening the window period, Dr I S Gilada, President Emeritus, AIDS Society of India, told The Indian Express. Experts say that while India has achieved over 45 per cent decline in annual new HIV infections since the early 2000s, mandatory screening of all donated blood should be ensured.

“It is crucial to ensure mandatory screening of all donated blood, strengthen regulation of blood banks and reduce transfusion-related transmission,” Dr Gilada said, adding that it will also prevent the Jharkhand-like scenario where five children with thalassemia were infected with HIV due to contaminated blood from Chaibasa Sadar Hospital.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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