# Bengal blood bank crackdown alarms thalassaemia families 2026-08-15T05:46:36+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet West Bengal’s health department has halted off-site donation camps by 12 private blood banks and is conducting raids after allegations of irregularities, including blood being exchanged for gifts and sold to other states without informing the State Blood Transfusion Council. Thalassaemia families fear the action could disrupt access to life-saving, phenotype-matched transfusions. The Thalassemic Guardians Association says about 80 per cent of its roughly 150 child patients depend on private blood banks, with stocks expected to last only until Saturday. Families say no alternative system was announced before the crackdown. The health minister rejected the concerns as misinformation and pointed to a dedicated unit at Maniktala Central. ## Coverage - nationalheraldindia.com Tags: Maniktala Central, Thalassemic Guardians Association, West Bengal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bengal-blood-bank-crackdown-alarms-thalassaemia-families/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bengal-blood-bank-crackdown-alarms-thalassaemia-families/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.