INDIA · WORLD & POLITICS
Karnataka mandates accreditation for all blood centres
Change
Karnataka’s Health Department ordered all blood banks in the state to secure NABH accreditation or NQAS certification within one year of the February 17, 2026 government order.
Why it matters
The government order sets a uniform quality requirement across Karnataka’s ~260 blood banks by making accreditation/certification mandatory on a one-year timeline. Government blood banks are required to obtain NQAS certification, while blood centres under autonomous government institutions can choose NQAS or NABH. Private blood banks, which are not eligible for the government-run NQAS scheme, are required to obtain NABH accreditation. This creates immediate operational and documentation/audit dependencies on NABH/NQAS processes and capacity, with compliance exposure concentrated at the one-year mark.
Implications
- • Private blood banks face mandatory NABH audit and accreditation costs
- • Government blood banks face mandatory NQAS assessment within 1 year
- • Autonomous govt blood centres must select NABH vs NQAS pathway
- • Accreditation bottlenecks may emerge if assessor capacity is limited
Who is affected
- • Private blood bank operators in Karnataka
- • Government-run blood banks in Karnataka
- • Autonomous government health institutions operating blood centres
- • NABH and NQAS accreditation/assessment bodies
Source
Read original → The Hindu
Topics
World & Politics Policy & Regulation Law & Public Safety Compliance Health & Medicine Healthcare Systems