AIIMS, Mangalagiri gets technologies to ensure safe blood transfusion

Two new advanced healthcare technologies, which will benefit people of Andhra Pradesh and its neighbouring States by ensuring access to safe blood in the shortest time, were inaugurated at AIIMS-Mangalagiri on Saturday.

Institute’s Executive Director and CEO Dr. Ahanthem Santa Singh inaugurated the Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing System (NAAT/NATS) along with an Advanced Automated Transfusion Transmissible Infections (TTI) Screening System, both of which will ensure blood transfusion safety, reduce risks, and improve patient outcomes.

The NAAT system, installed at a cost of approximately ₹1.73 crore, is an advanced blood screening technology that is capable of detecting viral RNA/DNA with high sensitivity, enabling early identification of infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, thereby significantly reducing the window period of detection, said a press note released by AIIMS, Mangalagiri.

When used in conjunction with the automated TTI screening system, it provides a dual layer of safety, minimising the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) and ensuring safer blood and blood components for patients.

Dr. Singh said the installation is the first of its kind among all AIIMS in South India and the first implementation of Individual Donor (ID) NAAT testing in Andhra Pradesh.

Prior to this, the blood centres relied on manual ELISA-based testing using 4th generation kits, which required five to eight hours for processing.

With the introduction of the automated TTI screening system, the testing turnaround time has been reduced to approximately 30 minutes, enabling rapid availability of safe blood during emergency and for patients with rare blood groups, he said.

The NAAT system enhances safety by significantly reducing the diagnostic window period, currently estimated at approximately two to three days for HIV, around 10 days for Hepatitis B, and about one day for Hepatitis C, allowing earlier detection compared to conventional methods, he added.