Transfusion Medicine

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Transfusion Medicine

Introduction

The Department of Transfusion Medicine at Government Thiruvallur Medical College and Hospital is the only Government Blood Centre with Component facility in Thiruvallur district, dedicated to fulfilling the needs of patients requiring blood and blood components. We ensure 24/7 availability of safe, quality-assured blood and blood products, with 50% of our blood supply supporting maternal and child health services throughout the district

The Blood Centre is located in the MCH Building, and we also have an additional Blood storage centre in the New hospital building to support trauma care and other emergencies. Further , we regularly supply blood to Ten additional blood storage centres across the district, ensuring timely and equitable access to blood products.

Our Centre was established in April 2004 at Government headquarters hospital Thiruvallur. The Component Separation Unit became operational in 2016. In the academic year 2024–2025, we collected 6,461 units of blood and issued 14,713 units of blood and blood components. We also conducted 99 voluntary blood donation camps during 2024-2025.

We are currently undergoing NABH certification to further enhance the quality and safety of our services.

The department is also certified by the National Institute of Biologicals (NIB) for active participation in the Hemovigilance Program of India.

The Department is participating in External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) - Transfusion Module CMC, Vellore and State Reference Laboratory at Govt. Stanley Medical college and Hospital, Chennai.

Faculty

S. No.	NAME	QUALIFICATION	DESIGNATION	REGN No.	PHOTO
1	DR S. SHOGAN RAJ	MBBS, M.D(IH&BT)	ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR	82462
2	DR T.PRATHEEBA	MBBS, DCP	ASSISTANT PROFESSOR	63149

Infrastructure

The Blood centre has a valid Licence (492/28C) for collection, storage and processing of whole human Blood and its components for sale or distribution.
The blood centre occupies 2,927 square feet in 5th floor , MCH building with dedicated zones for donor services, component separation, testing, and storage as per Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 . The facility has a total storage capacity of 3000 units of blood and blood components.
We follow Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to maintain the quality and safety of the blood and blood products
We have 58 essential instruments and equipment supporting accurate testing and safe storage.
All Immuno Hematological testing is conducted using both conventional tube techniques and gel card methods. We have applied for approval to perform Apheresis procedures and are in the process of acquiring an Apheresis machine
through National Health Mission, which will expand our therapeutic capabilities.

BLOOD BANK REFRIGIRATOR

-80 * Deep Freezer

ELISA WASHER & READER

GEL CARD INCUBATOR & CENTRIFUGE

LAMINAR AIR FLOW

PLATELET INCUBATOR & AGITATOR

REFRIGERATED CENTRIFUGE

Scope of services

24/7 supply of Blood Components: PRBC, FFP, platelets, and cryoprecipitate
Voluntary Blood Donation services 8 am – 3 pm on all days
Regular Outdoor Blood Donation camps
Component separation from whole blood
Storage of blood and blood components in accordance with safety standards
Screening of Transfusion-Transmitted Infections (TTIs): HIV, HBsAg, HCV, malaria, and syphilis
Blood grouping and typing, including Weak D testing for donors
Crossmatching and safe blood issue
Direct and Indirect Antiglobulin Tests (Coombs tests)

Academic activities

The Department is actively involved in the training of PostGraduate Medical students, through the District Residency Programme (DRP), where MD postgraduates in Immuno Haematology and Blood Transfusion undergoes a three-month training in our department.
We conduct regular academic sessions, Hands on training for trainees and awareness programs on safe blood transfusion practices. PostGraduates participate in seminar presentations and journal club sessions, enhancing their academic and clinical skills.
We conduct orientation and academic sessions for second year MBBS students and elective session for prefinal MBBS Students as per NMC norms.
Regular Awareness program for college students to promote voluntary blood donation and transfusion safety.
Doctors, Nurses, and Laboratory technicians from various Primary Health Centres and Government Hospitals are regularly posted here for hands-on training in testing techniques and blood storage centre management.
The Department has a Hospital Transfusion Committee, which conducts regular meetings to review the performance of the Blood Centre and to develop strategies for improving transfusion practices.
In October 2024, we also established a Student Blood Donor Club to encourage voluntary donation and increase awareness among the medical student community.

Research and Publication

Content To Be Added Shortly

Publication and Journals

1	Dr Chitra M, Dr ShoganRaj S, Dr Sri Devi M Prevalance of weak "D" among Voluntary Blood Donors in a Teritary Care Hospital in Chennai International Journal of Medical Science and Innovative Reseach (IJMSIR) Jan 2022
2	Dr Deepa D, Dr ShoganRaj S Analysis of the Usage of Platelet -rich plasma for Androgenic Alopecia treatment in the department of Cosmetology at a Tertiary Care Hospital International Journal of Medical Science and Innovative Reseach (IJMSIR) Nov 2022
3	Dr Vijayakumar, Dr ShoganRaj S, Dr Umesh D A Study on Acute Adverse Effects of Blood Transfusion in a Tertiary Care Centre International Journal of Academic Medicine and Pharmacy (JAMP) Jan 2024
4	Dr ShoganRaj S, Dr Sri Devi M, Dr Sreedevi R, Dr Chitra M Evaluation of Incompatible Crossmatches at a Teritary Care Hospital in Chennai - A Retrospective Study Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research (AJPCR) Jan 2024

Events & Seminars

S. No	Topic	Date
1	World Blood Donor Day	14-06-2024
2	National Voluntary Blood Donation Day	10-01-2024
3	Students Donor Club Inaguration	22/10/2024

Interesting cases

Case Summary
The blood centre received a sample of a 50 year old female patient with Hb : 6.1 gms/dl for blood grouping and cross matching. Initial grouping revealed a discrepancy between forward and reverse typing, which raised suspicion of an underlying immuno hematological abnormality. Upon further evaluation:
The sample was incubated at 4°C, which helped resolve the discrepancy, suggesting the presence of cold-reactive antibodies.
Direct Coombs Test (DCT) was strongly positive with 4+ grading, confirming the presence of autoantibodies coating the red blood cells.
Autocontrol was also positive, and cold agglutinin titration revealed a titre of 1:16, consistent with Cold Agglutinin Disease, a form of Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA).

Interesting Case: Identification of Bombay (Oh) Blood Group in a Voluntary Donor

Case Summary

A 21-year-old voluntary donor presented to our blood centre and self-reported as O negative blood group. Routine blood grouping was performed, and while initial forward and reverse typing appeared consistent with O group, further testing revealed absence of agglutination with anti-H reagent, indicating a rare Bombay (Oh) phenotype.

To confirm the finding:

Repeat blood grouping was conducted with anti-A, anti-B, and anti-H reagents.
Anti-H showed no reaction, confirming the absence of H antigen on red cells — a hallmark of the Bombay blood group.
Outcome and Relevance This donor was immediately added to our Rare Blood Group Registry, and appropriate counselling was provided regarding the implications of this rare phenotype, especially for future transfusion requirements.

Gallery

WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY - 14/06/2024 NATIONAL VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONATION DAY - 01/10/2024 STUDENT BLOOD DONOR CLUB INAUGURATION - 22/10/ 2024 STUDENT BLOOD DONOR CLUB DISTRICT COLLECTOR AWARD