Berhampur, June 22: Though several social outfits drive people into donating blood to help out the poor and the needy, such noble gestures don’t serve the purpose amid allegations of misuse of blood at the blood bank of MKCG Medical College and Hospital.
According to allegations, some doctors of the hospital ask patients to collect three to four units of blood from the bank against the requirement of just one unit. Later, the surplus units are sold to other patients through brokers who manage to make nearly Rs 15,000 each per day. Shockingly, the blood is sold by the brokers randomly to hapless patients without verification of their blood groups. Though many doctors and hospital staff are aware of the goings-on, they do not act against these brokers, it was learnt. The issue can be addressed only with the intervention of the police, some doctors said.
Some brokers demand Rs 5,000 from patients for each unit of blood, it was learnt.
The blood bank in MKCG is considered the biggest in south Orissa and thousands of patients depend on it to meet their emergency needs. But the blood bank is in the clutches of brokers who manage to get blood at their own will from it leaving genuine patients in the lurch, a report said. Officials of the bank don’t even care for the request of people who donate blood to increase the stock of the blood bank, rued some donors.
It was alleged that the collected blood from donors is sold conveniently to local nursing homes with the help of a few officials as the record of stocks of blood is not maintainMKCG, ed properly.
When contacted, blood bank medical officer Jayant Mishra and in-charge Bharati Das expressed concern over the issue.
They received such allegations and are looking for the culprits, the duo said, adding, the wrongdoers would be handed over to police the moment they are identified.
Both the doctors held a meeting over the issue two days back where other staff disclosed that the brokers collect the blood at gun point. A broker was found making a scene at the blood bank Thursday demanding blood.
On the other hand, an employee of the blood bank often draws blood from donors in a drunken state and there was a scuffle over the issue three days back. Action is being taken against the errant staffer, the blood bank doctors said.