Only 38 units of blood disposed; not dumped in drain, clarifies DK IRCS

November 11, 2014

Mangaluru, Nov 11: The Blood?Bank?Committee of the Dakshina Kannada unit of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) has denied the media reports that claimed that 90 units of blood were dumped in drain in the city recently.

A press release issued by the Committee following an emergency meeting held on Monday in the city stated that only 38 units of blood collected out of 341 units in a blood donation camp held on September 26, 2014, were kept for disposal as the IRCS could not issue the blood to any needy or exchange the same with any other hospital, despite best efforts, before the due date, that is, October 31, 2014.

Brushing aside the report that waste blood was dumped in drain, the release stated that the IRCS has a tie up with M/s Ramkey Energy and Environment Limited for scientific disposal of bio-medical waste and IRCS disposes all bio-medical waste in a proper channel.

As the validity of 38 units of blood expired on October 31 / November 1, 2014, and as the same was not brought to the notice of the Blood Bank Committe chairman or any members, the members resolved to issue a memo to the technical supervisor as well as blood bank technicians, it said.

All the technical staff were told to henceforth strictly take steps not to waste blood and take steps to issue the blood to other hospitals before the due date, that is, 35 days from the date of blood collection. The blood bank technical supervisor has also been instructed to draw the attention of the blood bank committee, when there are 10 days left for the expiry of blood units.

The release also said that the IRCS Blood Bank issued 733 units of blood to Lady Goschen Hospital free of cost, out of the total 1,560 units collected in the year 2013-14. From April 1, 2014 to October 31, 2014, the IRCS blood bank has issued 537 units of blood to needy, free of cost (out of total 1,366 units collected).

The IRCS?has also been giving the blood free of cost to HIV, Haemophelia, Thalassemia patients and all delivery cases at Govt Ladygoschen hospitals, it said.

Ronald Anil Fernandes, Chairman, Blood Bank committee, IRCS, B Prabhakar Sriyan, Chairman, IRCS, DK?unit, Dr Susheel Jatthanna, Member, IRCS Blood Bank committee, Mr Raveendranath K, Member, IRCS Blood Bank committee, Hanumanth Kamath, Member, IRCS Blood Bank committee, Pradeep D'Souza, Member, IRCS Blood Bank committee, Titus Noronha, Member, IRCS Blood Bank committee, Arun Suvarna, Member, IRCS Blood Bank committee and Edward Vas, Technical Supervisor, IRCS?Blood Bank were present in the emergency meeting held at the IRCS Blood Bank, Government Lady Goschen Hospital premises, Mangaluru.

Following is the list of blood banks in Dakshina Kananda, which have discarded blood units due to expiry. The list comprises April 2013 to August 2013; October 2013 to December 2013; April 2014 to August 2013.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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