Cuttack: Various social outfits, political parties and educational institutions in the state usually organise blood donation camps to arrange blood for needy people. However, the relatives of many critically-ill patients are being forced to opt for exchange route for collecting the essential liquid at blood banks.
Data collected from Red Cross Central Blood Bank and SCB Medical College and Hospital Blood Bank have confirmed that the relatives of around 50 per cent needy patients usually collect blood packets of their required groups by exchanging an equal number of sachets of other groups.
According to available data, the Red Cross Central Blood Bank had collected altogether 44,181 units of blood last year. It is learnt that the blood bank had collected as many as 24,482 units by organising voluntary donation camps and 438 units from its own sources. However, the blood bank had received 19,261 units from the relatives of patients through exchange route.
“We had provided altogether 43,648 blood units to needy people and discarded 414 units of infected blood in 2016,” said Red Cross Blood Bank director Satyabrata Sahu.
SCB sources said a blood bank on the hospital premises had collected 23,943 units of blood in 2016. Voluntary donation camps had contributed 13,376 units to the blood bank while the premier healthcare institute had managed to collect 640 units by organising camps. SCB blood bank had received as many as 9,927 units of blood through the exchange mechanism.
“Last year, we had distributed 22,732 units of blood among patients and thrown away 841 infected units of blood,” said SCB Transfusion Medicine Department chief Pankaj Kumar Parida.
According to Parida, at least 40 per cent of the patients at the premier health institute face difficulties in getting blood. “Our blood bank does not get adequate blood units in summer. The situation has improved a lot this year,” Parida added.
Smita Mahapatra, an assistant professor at the Transfusion Medicine Department, claimed that blood banks across the state had collected 4 lakh units last year. “The population figure in the state is hovering around 4 crore. Ideally, we need at least 4 lakh units of blood annually to meet any eventuality. There is no shortage of blood in our banks,” Mahapatra claimed.
Contrary to the claims of Parida and Mahapatra, SCB Blood Bank data has revealed that the relatives of at least 30 patients do not get blood on any given day. Sources said even some thalassemia patients often face problems to get blood from Red Cross and SCB banks. “An employee of Red Cross Blood Bank had misbehaved with a 17-year-old thalassemia patient recently. The minor boy got blood at the behest of Health Minister Pratap Jena. Many people are facing difficulties to get blood at the two banks,” said a source.
Meanwhile, some social activists alleged that many people have been tested positive for HIV after taking infected blood from banks across the state. “It is very difficult to trace HIV in the blood of a person within the first six months of infection. Only four blood banks have modern equipment to trace such infected units. Around 400 units were found with HIV in these four banks last year. The remaining 52 blood banks in the state are unknowingly providing a few units of infected blood to patients,” claimed social activist Amiya Bhusan Biswal.
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