``I will resign as a member of the MSTBC if this ban is not revoked within eight days,'' announced Dr Dilip Wani of the Janakalyan Blood Bank, at a press conference today.

With only the Sasoon hospital, Aundh Chest hospital, Red Cross, ESI hospital and the AFMC hospital, which satisfy barely 15-20 per cent of the city's demand for transfusions, now permitted to conduct blood donation drives, private blood banks foresee an immediate shortage of blood. ``Eighty per cent of the 150,000 bottles of blood needed in Pune per year are supplied by private blood banks,'' said Dr Rajkumar Gandhi, medical director of the Acharya Anandrishiji Pune Blood Bank. ``Are we expected to let our patients die because of this rule?,'' he asks.

``We have cancelled six camps already,'' said Dr Rao of Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital. ``If we are not designated as regional blood transfusion centres (RBTC) soon, we will lose our voluntary blood donors.''

Dr J K Coyaji of the KEM Hospital questioned the logic behind banning private blood donation drives without creating alternative arrangements that will meet the blood transfusion requirements of the city. ``Can the five designated transfusion centres collect the city's minimum requirement of 30,000 bottles a year, or 100 bottles a day?''

Testing large units of blood collected at donation drives saves costs, permitting us to sell bottles at Rs 450-480 each, on a no-profit, no-loss basis,'' says Dr Wani, who expects prices to reach Rs 1200 becuase of the ban.

The status of the National Blood Donation drive organised on Manavta Din (August 8), by the Akhil Bharatwarshi Shwetambar Jain Conference Yuva Shakha, Maharashtra, now remains uncertain, with organisers wondering if they will face prosecution if the drive is not cancelled. Dr Gandhi announced that the private blood banks would, in ``the interest of Pune's citizens,'' launch a satyagraha to compel the State to either designate them as RBTCS, or revoke the amendment to Part 12 B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, which came into effect from August 5.