Karnataka sees record blood wastage, discards 44,776 units in 2024-25

Karnataka has reported the highest blood wastage in three years, discarding 44,776 units in 2024-25, according to data from the State Blood Cell. This marks a sharp rise from 37,906 units in 2023-24 and surpasses the 43,857 units discarded in 2022-23. Each unit discarded amounts to approximately 450ml of blood.

Also read: SOTTO, Karnataka hopes to find organ donors for over 7,302 patients who await organ transplant in the state

The increase in wastage comes despite stable collection volumes—9.83 lakh units were collected in 2024-25, compared to 9.74 lakh and 9.75 lakh in the previous two years. Health officials attribute a significant portion of the wastage to sero-reactive blood—units testing positive for infections like HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, or malaria. These infections are typically identified only after lab screening, as most donation camps check only haemoglobin levels before collection.

Dr Shakila N, Deputy Director of the State Blood Cell, noted that while infected donors are informed immediately, the collected units must be discarded. She also cited the short shelf life of blood components as a key factor. "Platelets last only five days, and red blood cells up to 42 days. If not used within that period, they're wasted," she said.

Additional reasons include over-collection during camps, poor stock rotation, and inaccurate demand forecasting. Despite the rise in discarded units, officials say the discard rate as a percentage of total collection has declined. Efforts are ongoing to cut losses through better planning, inventory management, and donor awareness.