Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of 40 blood banks and cancelled five after inspections across the state between April and October 2026. Among those facing action is the blood centre at Dr RN Cooper Hospital, the civic-run teaching hospital that serves Mumbai's western suburbs.
Cooper Hospital blood centre to reopen at midnight tonight
Under the FDA's suspension order, the blood centre at Cooper Hospital is closed on November 5 and 6. Services were halted from the start of November 5 and will resume at midnight tonight, as November 7 begins.
The centre is run by Samarprit Bahuuddeshiya Sevabhavi Vikas Sanstha, which has asked the hospital dean to inform all departments. Patients who need blood transfusions are being directed to the blood centre at HBT Trauma Hospital in Jogeshwari.
Cooper Hospital has about 697 beds and records more than 7.5 lakh outpatient visits a year — over 2,000 patients a day on average.
Statewide crackdown: the numbers
| Facility | Inspected (Apr–Oct) | Licences cancelled | Licences suspended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood banks | 190 | 5 | 40 |
| Blood storage centres | 219 | 13 | 37 |
In October alone, the FDA inspected 43 blood banks and 57 blood storage centres.
The FDA has not publicly detailed the specific violations behind the suspensions, saying only that the action is meant to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards for blood collection and storage.
What patients should do
Families who need blood urgently should check with the treating hospital's blood centre first, and can use the government's e-RaktKosh portal to look up blood availability at licensed centres across Maharashtra.
