Maharashtra government wants blood donation camps at railway stations
Mumbai city news: Blood banks have been tackling the serious shortage for over 90 days
To deal with the shortage of blood in the city’s blood banks, the State Blood Transfusion Council has asked them to conduct collection drives at railway stations.
Experts said that the advice had come late.
Dr Vinay Shetty, founder of NGO Think Foundation, said that blood banks were tackling the serious shortage for over 90 days. “The shortage hurts in May and June because schools and colleges are shut in this period and so there are no camps. Outdoor camps are also not conducted because of the rains,” he said
Technicians at Bombay Red Cross Blood Centre in Fort said that they had been referring people to other blood banks because of the shortfall. “Normally we have 300 units of blood but for a month now, we have had only 50 units. Most of this is used for thalassemia patients registered with us,” said a technician.
Many thalassemia patients are also having a hard time finding blood.
Karan Sanghvi from Kurla said that he had called 10 blood banks in the city last week to arrange for blood for his 19-year old daughter who has thalassemia (an inherited genetic disorder, which required blood transfusions).
“My daughter needs three units of B positive blood every 15 days. We will be travelling in a few days and we still don’t have the blood,” he said.
Doctors said with the onset on monsoon, a lot of people will be down with viral infections. “If donors are on treatment, we cannot accept blood from them,” said a doctor from a blood bank in Ghatkopar.