Kolkata, Aug 7 The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the West Bengal government's Health department to file a report by August 14 on its direction to a blood bank to stop outside voluntary blood donation camps till disposal of investigation against it.
Life Care Medical Foundation filed the application challenging the joint director (State Blood Transfusion Council and Blood Transfusion Service), Swasthya Bhawan, of the state's Health Department's direction to stop its outside voluntary blood donation camps from August 1 until the ongoing investigation by SBTC, West Bengal, is over.
Justice Krishna Rao directed the authorities to file a report in this regard by August 14.
The court granted liberty to the petitioner organisation to file exception to the contentions of the authorities by August 18.
Justice Rao directed that the matter will come up for hearing again on August 19.
The counsel appearing for the petitioner questioned the jurisdiction of the joint director (SBTC and BTS) who issued the order.
The lawyer for the authorities denied the petitioner's claim that the joint director (SBTC and BTS) lacked jurisdiction.
The West Bengal Health Department had last week launched raids on several private blood banks across the state following allegations of large-scale illegal transportation of blood and plasma to other states in violation of prescribed norms and barred some of them from organising outside blood donation camps till further orders.
These blood donation camps were, however, permitted to continue their in-house collection of blood with competent technical staff and maintaining all applicable norms and rules, the Health Department's counsel stated before the court.
He submitted that only outdoor blood collection was stopped pending investigation.
