Rayagada: Scores of patients, anemic ones in particular, have had a harrowing time since last Friday as the government blood bank on the premises of the district headquarters hospital went out of stock.
Though the authorities are trying to rope in volunteers to collect blood to improve the stock of the bank, it has not yielded results, a report said. Moreover, the volunteers are under tremendous pressure due to repeated request from a few patients and the hospital authorities, it was learnt.
The bank can manage to collect nearly 2,000 units of blood against its annual requirement 4,000 units. About 500 units of blood are collected from voluntary donors, according to the department. Names of prominent organisations who donate blood regularly included – GIET engineering college, JK Paper Mills, Divya Darshan Sangh, CRPF’s 4th battalion, LIC, Rayagada Autonomous College, L&T-Rayagada, district Red Cross, Rayagada Centurion College and others.
Only 2,500 units of blood have been collected so far this year as there is a stiff decline in number of blood donation camps organised by these organisations, official said.
The blood bank authorities have prepared a list of young blood donors who donate blood voluntarily. In case of exigencies, they obliged the authorities at a short notice despite their earlier contributions. But there is a limit to draw blood from a human being, an official said.
According to official records, there were only nine units of blood of O +ve category in the blood bank till Friday. The stock in the bank got exhausted after they were utilised the same day.
Every day, 10 to 15 units of blood are required for the patients visiting the DHH. The requirement goes up in case of emergency as hundreds of patients visit the hospital regularly.
For the last two days patients are returning from the blood bank empty-handed due to shortage of blood. Left with no option, they convince their near and dear ones to come to DHH and donate blood.
Helpless, blood officials currently ask attendants to collect blood from a private blood bank of the town to save patients’ lives, Umakanta Mishra of the government blood bank said.
When contacted, the blood bank in-charge PK Subudhi admitted the crisis. “We are making contact with voluntary blood donors like MITS engineering college and Utkal Alumina to get a few units of blood for emergency.”
He also appealed people to donate blood voluntarily to save lives of people in distress. The department would extend cooperation to organisers, he added. PNN
