Jaipur: In the wake of a tragic fatality caused by an erroneous blood transfusion at SMS Hospital in Feb 2024, the institution has overhauled its transfusion safety measures. The Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine (IHTM) department has introduced a stringent, multi-layered verification system to eliminate human errors and enhance patient safety.
Under the new protocol, blood typing is now mandatory at the time of admission for all patients. The IHTM department, based in room No. 302 of the Dhanwantri OPD Block, operates with a senior resident and two technicians who utilise automated technology to process samples. Results are digitally recorded in the state govt’s IHMS portal to ensure seamless data access.
A critical addition to the process is dual verification. Alongside the initial blood typing at admission, a second sample undergoes testing at the blood centre before cross matching, ensuring absolute compatibility between donor and recipient blood before transfusion.
“The implementation of this system addresses potential human errors in sample collection and handling, which have historically led to life-threatening mistakes. By introducing rigorous verification, we have significantly reduced the risk of incorrect transfusions,” said Dr. Bheem Singh, senior professor, IHTM department.
