National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) functions of NBTC as the policy formulating apex body in relation to all matters pertaining to operation of blood centers are as follows: 

⦁ Commitment to provide safe and adequate quantity of blood, blood components and blood products through an organized blood transfusion service in the country; 

⦁ Formulate and implement National Blood Policy and implement National Blood Programme in the country; Make latest technology available for operating the BTS and encourage the appropriate use of blood and blood product and encourage the research and development of field transfusion medicine and related technology 

⦁ Take adequate regulatory and legislative steps in blood transfusion process and provide adequate resource policy framework of blood bank services in the country.  NBTC and State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) are the apex bodies responsible for BTS at national and state level.

Key Strategies: 

⦁ Government has adopted a comprehensive approach towards strengthening BTS, key strategies for which include:

⦁ Increasing regular voluntary non remunerated blood donation to meet the safe blood requirements of safe blood in the country; 

⦁ Promoting component preparation and availability along with rational use of blood in health care facilities and building capacity of health care providers to achieve this objective; • Enhancing blood access through a well networked regionally coordinated BTS; 

⦁ Establishing Quality Management Systems to ensure safe and quality blood and 

⦁ Building implementation structures and referral linkages. 

The Voluntary Blood Donation is about 63% of the total Blood Collection for the year of 2013-14.    37% of the Blood units were collected from Voluntary Blood Donation camps. On the whole the Voluntary Blood Donation among all the 15 Blood Banks comes around 63% which is a significant achievement considering the fact that majority of the Blood Banks in the UT of Puducherry are private Blood banks where Replacement Donors are the only source of Blood. All the Blood Banks are monitored closely with periodic visits by the Blood Banks experts. The State Referral Laboratory, JIPMER facilitates EQAS program enabling them to improve their standards of testing. 163 VBD camps were organized by the NACO supported Blood Banks with an average of 41 Blood Units per camp. The percentage of Blood Component Separation among the NACO supported Blood Banks comes around 72%.

Promotion of Voluntary Blood Donation Special days such as World Blood Donor Day and National Voluntary Blood Donation Day were observed at national and state level recognizing the contribution of repeat non-remunerated repeat voluntary blood donors. Logo and tagline for VBD has been developed (Raktdaan, Karke Dekho, Achcha Lagta Hai). It will be used extensively in all the IEC Material developed and will give a separate entity to VBD. IEC material has also been created which consists of posters, leaflets, standees, corporate docket, short movie and exhibition panels. These IEC Material was developed by taking inputs from central & State officers of BTS, VBDs, SACS Youth and IEC officers along with field experts in transfusion medicine, blood donor counselling, blood donor motivation and recruitment and representatives of NGOs engaged in promotion of VBD.

Pondicherry AIDS Control Society is coordinating the Voluntary Blood Donation programme so as to ensure quality blood to all the needy patients in the UT of Puducherry. All donated blood is tested for HIV, HBV, HCV, Syphilis and Malaria.   There are 14 Blood Banks functioning in the UT of Puducherry catering to the needs of 12.48 lakhs population. In Puducherry, there are 5 Government Blood Banks which includes 1 Model Blood Bank, 1 Major Blood Bank with BCSU, 2 District Blood Banks and 10 Private Blood Banks, functioning in four Districts of the UT of Puducherry.