Blood banks face shortage as shutdown hinders donation in Kolkata

KOLKATA: Blood banks across the city are facing a big challenge with no blood donation camps being organised in times of social isolation. That, in turn, has created serious crisis for patients who require regular transfusion.
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With shortage of supply looming large, the state health department on Monday came up with a circular, asking all stakeholders to carry on with voluntary blood donation camps, and issued a safety guideline to be followed in context of the Covd-19 crisis.However, the situation is yet to improve.
According to the guideline, a maximum of 30 donors are to be allowed to donate blood at a particular camp. A maximum of five donors are to be allowed at a time. Volunteers are supposed to ensure social distancing is maintained at the camp. There is a temporary deferral of donor who has had travel history in the past 28 days. No blood can be taken from donors with symptoms of influenza.
Officials at the Central Blood Bank Maniktala said that the shortage is yet to hit the apex blood bank in the state. “We, however, have started rationalizing the supply of blood units as collection at blood banks is depleting,” said a source.
Malay Ghosh, director of the blood bank at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital said, “We have already spent two weeks without any collection. After one week, I do not know what to do. No organisations have got in touch with us for organizing camps even after the circular was issued. They are also helpless. I shall try my best to overcome this crisis but I do not know how much can be done.”
Bratish Neogi, managing partner of Peoples Blood Bank, called the situation “grave”. “Our stock of blood has more or less dried up. We are entirely depending on replacement or exchange donation. All hospitals have been requested to postpone planned surgeries. But regular blood transfusion is required for the patients who need dialysis or are suffering from cancer, chronic kidney disease, thalassemia and haemophilia,” he said.
It is a critical similar situation at the blood bank of the Kothari Medical Centre. According to its coordinator Sanjoy Mondal, the supply has trickled down to the nadir. “We used to have a stock of 1000-1500 units of blood. There are no camps happening now. If a person requires blood of a certain group, he has to get a donor to donate blood from the same group,” Mondal said.
To manage the situation, volunteers of city-based NGO Project Life Force that is associated with blood donation events for eight years have become active. “Not just cancer and dialysis, blood is required even for childbirth surgeries. That’s why our volunteers have agreed to provide pickup and drop facilities to those keen on donation. Alternatively, people can also make a list of donors and invite us to their apartment. We will send our mobile blood donation bus there,” said Ajay Mittal, the director of Project Life Force.
Lakshmi Parakh, who donates platelets regularly, is one such volunteer who is mobilizing people to come in aid of the patients at Tata Medical Centre. “Majority of the outstation patients do not know locals who can donate. They need to rely on social organisations like ours. I have got my colleagues to donate blood and platelets there. Besides, our air-conditioned bus, which is a fully-equipped vanity van with four couches for donors, was sent to the Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Institute (SGCCRI) at Thakurpukur on Friday,” Parakh said.
Among the 44 donors at SGCCRI, 20 were doctors. Among them was SGCCRI’s director Dr Arnab Gupta, who said, “The situation is bad. We need to have a full backup for our patients. Healthy staff and patients’ relatives were requested to donate blood on Friday.”
According to Swapan Adak, the supervisor of SGCCRI’s blood bank, “Currently, we have 166 patients. Our monthly requirement is approximately 600-700 units. Now, we just have less than 100 units of blood. We are worried about what will happen during the lockdown situation since we have no supply of A+ blood group.”