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Bhubaneswar, Oct 13: People suffering from blood disorders such as thalassemia, haemophilia and sickle cell anaemia will from now on receive financial aid of Rs500 a month to meet expenses on transport to get blood transfusions done. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made the announcement Friday.
“The state government has been providing blood free of cost to persons suffering from blood disorders. In addition to that, now we have decided to provide an assistance of Rs500 per month to persons suffering from blood disorders to help them meet transportation costs while visiting blood transfusion centres,” he said at an event in the capital.
The chief minister also announced the establishment of seven more Blood Component Separation Units — one each at Rourkela, Balasore, Baripada, Keonjhar, Koraput, Bargarh and Bolangir — in 2017-18, and four more such units at Jharsuguda, Dhenkanal, Phulbani and Bhawanipatna in 2018-19. These units are meant to ensure appropriate clinical use of blood.
He added that the state government already has 14 blood component separation units that help avoid unnecessary transfusions. The CM said the state government was spending Rs12 crore annually to screen blood using the latest technology on a pilot basis at six blood banks spread across Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Burla. “Based on its success, the project will be extended to all major blood banks of the state.”
Patnaik also listed some of the other proposals the government has in the pipeline. “Nine blood collection vans will be provided to as many major blood banks, blood banks collecting 10,000 units or more of blood per annum will be provided with technology for automation of blood grouping and cross matching, the number of postgraduate seats in transfusion medicine at SCB Medical College in Cuttack will be increased, and day-care centres will be opened at Balasore, Kandhamal and Rourkela for persons with blood disorders,” the CM said.