New Delhi, Nov. 24 -- The government has tightened regulations for blood centres nationwide, making it mandatory for them to use the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method for checking donated blood for infectious diseases to ensure it's safe for transfusion, according to two government officials and a document reviewed by Mint.

Currently, many of these blood centres rely on rapid card tests, which are quick, disposable tests that check for infections using a small blood sample but with lower sensitivity than lab-based methods like ELISA, which uses enzymes and antibodies to precisely detect viruses and other disease-markers in blood.

The Centre's move aims to standardize safety protocols and curb regulatory noncompliance in t...