Prayagraj: The Blood Center at Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital (SRN) has achieved a significant milestone in providing safer blood to patients. The Department of Transfusion Medicine has begun testing blood using Advanced Nucleic Acid Test (NAT-ID) technology. With this, patients in the Prayagraj division will now have access to safer, world-class quality blood.
Professor (Dr.) Vatsala Mishra, Head of the Department of Transfusion Medicine, stated, “NAT-ID technology is a revolutionary step in the field of blood safety. This technology identifies the DNA and RNA of the infection-causing virus at an early stage, significantly reducing the likelihood of using infected blood even during the window period. Now, every blood unit issued from our blood center is made available to patients only after NAT-ID testing. This facility is completely free and will provide world-class, safe, and quality blood to patients in the Prayagraj division. Our aim is to provide safe blood of the highest quality to every patient.”
Until now, blood testing was done using ELISA and CLIA techniques, while the new NAT-ID technology identifies infections at the DNA and RNA levels of viruses. This allows for earlier detection of infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, even during the window period, further reducing the risk of transfusions of infected blood.
For this facility, the Blood Center of Swarup Rani Nehru Hospital has signed a contract with Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow. Under this arrangement, which will come into effect from July 1, 2026, every blood unit will be released to patients only after NAT-ID testing. According to the hospital administration, this step will further strengthen the Quality Assurance System of the Blood Center and will prove to be a milestone in providing safe, modern and world-class blood transfusion services to the patients. Most importantly, this facility of NAT-ID testing is being provided to the patients completely free of cost, which will ensure the availability of safer blood without any additional financial burden.