Blood banks face stock crisis; lockdown relaxation brings hope

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Lockdown relaxation in Assam has brought hopes for the blood banks to increase its stock and mitigate the present crisis.

The last 40-day lockdown had resulted in major stock crisis at the blood banks across the State. The blood bank at Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) had stock only for two days on Sunday.

"We usually have blood stock for 15 to 20 days. But the long lockdown had depleted the stock. Since the State Government has relaxed the lockdown, we are expecting to enhance daily collection of blood donation units," a source in ASACS said.

The Health department has also instructed to organize frequent blood donation camps, informed sources.

Assam requires 700 to 800 units of blood daily in its 33 district hospitals. During the first and second phases of lockdown, the State could collect only 500 to 600 units which caused shortage of 200 to 300 units of blood.

"Hospitals were able to meet the demand as the flow of patients was less due to lockdown. But now with relaxation of lockdown, the demand for blood will go up and there is a need to enhance daily collection," a doctor said.

The Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) requires 100 to 150 units of blood every day. Since the GMCH is no longer a COVID-designated hospital, the requisition will go up.

Touch of Humanity, an NGO, has said blood donation drive in the city has gone down comparatively after the lockdown.

"Earlier, we used to get eight to ten calls every week for blood donation. The people are willing to donate blood. But they are constrained to come forward due to the lockdown. The number of persons calling us for blood donation has now gone down to two or three," a member of the NGO said.

Guwahati city requires 300 units of blood daily. Of this, 10 to 15 per cent comes from voluntary blood donation and 30 to 40 per cent from the replacement cells of various blood banks.

Considering the crisis, the ASACS and the Assam State Blood Transfusion Council last week organized a blood-donation camp. Inaugurating the blood bank, Minister of State for Health Pijush Hazarika said that while five mobile blood-collection vans are placed in district hospitals, another five will be introduced soon.

The Junior Doctors' Association of GMCH has written to Minister Hazarika for regular holding of blood donation camps to overcome the crisis. The Association stated that there is an increasing need of stored blood in the GMCH Blood Bank. The doctors' association seeks the Minister's permission to organize a 'Blood Donation Week' every month in which students and doctors of GMCH along with various colleges and organizations will volunteer to donate blood.

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