New Delhi, December 12: Thalassemia patient groups have warmly welcomed the introduction of the National Blood Transfusion Bill, 2025 in Parliament, urging lawmakers to pass this vital, life-saving legislation without delay.

The Bill was introduced earlier this month during the Winter Session—by MP Parshottambhai Rupala in the Lok Sabha and Dr. Ajeet Madhavrao Gopchade in the Rajya Sabha.

Designed to overhaul India’s blood transfusion ecosystem, the proposed legislation seeks to regulate the collection, testing, processing, storage, distribution, and transfusion of human blood and blood components. It aims to ensure stringent safeguards to prevent transfusion-transmissible diseases and enforce uniform national standards for safety, quality, and accountability. The Bill also proposes penalties for non-compliance and related violations.

At its core, the Bill seeks to establish a National Blood Transfusion Authority, empowered to set and monitor national standards for all blood-related services.

For India’s thalassemia community—which relies on regular, safe, and uninterrupted blood transfusions—this is a landmark and long-awaited reform.
“This legislation marks a historic step forward for thalassaemia patients,” the Thalassaemia Patients Advocacy Group (TPAG) said in a statement. “It demonstrates a strong parliamentary commitment to reforming one of India’s most under-regulated yet critical public health sectors.”

TPAG urged Members of Parliament to ensure the Bill’s swift passage, highlighting that it offers new hope for lakhs of patients who depend on timely and safe blood transfusions for survival. A unified national regulatory framework, they said, will significantly strengthen safety, quality assurance, accountability, and public trust within the system.

Prof. N.K. Ganguly, former Director General of ICMR, added:
“Strengthening governance of blood transfusion services is vital for improving safety and patient outcomes. I hope the proposed Bill provides a much-needed, science-based framework for enhancing standards across the sector.”

Anubha Taneja Mukherjee, Member Secretary of TPAG, noted that the group will submit a comprehensive set of recommendations on the Bill. She also emphasized the importance of ensuring patient representation in any committee or authority formed under the legislation.

The Federation of Indian Blood Donors Organizations (FIBDO) also applauded the MPs for championing this crucial initiative.
“We call upon all parliamentarians to unite in passing this Bill, which has the potential to save countless lives and strengthen India’s healthcare foundation,” FIBDO said.

As the Bill moves forward in Parliament, stakeholders across the patient and donor community are hopeful that India will soon witness a more robust, transparent, and patient-centric blood transfusion system.