A Right To Information RTI query has revealed that 28 of the 86 registered patients at the Thalassemia Blood Transfusion Centre at St Georges Hospital at Fort have tested positive for hepatitis B HbsAg and hepatitis C HCV. Three patients have also tested positive for HIV.

St Georges Hospital at Fort. Family members of at least two patients in the thalassemia unit of the hospital allege that their kin, who were registered with the blood bank since eight to 10 years, had suddenly tested positive for hepatitis B and hepatitis C respectively

With the figures further revealing that 36 per cent of the patients at the hospital tested positive for diseases that mainly spread through regular blood transfusions, experts have raised serious concerns about many government-run blood banks still using the outdated Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ELISA test to detect viruses in the blood. The more effective and latest method of testing blood samples for virus, bacteria and diseases, the Nucleic Acid Testing NAT is followed only by a handful of private players such as the Hinduja Hospital.