Umang Foundation, a public welfare trust, has urged Himachal Pradesh chief secretary Anil Khachi to authorise blood banks to issue passes to donors during the curfew, as per the advice of Union health secretary. The trust has also asked him to provide a van to all blood banks so that donors can be brought in case of emergency.
In the letter, the foundation’s chairman Ajai Srivastava said that due to the lockdown, there was an acute shortage of blood in all banks across the state. “There is a regular requirement of blood for thalassemic children, cancer patients, those undergoing cardiac surgeries and deliveries at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Kamla Nehru Hospital, which is the only Mother-Child hospital, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College in Tanda among others,” he said
Srivastava further wrote that keeping with Union health secretary Preeti Sudan’s advise to the Union home secretary, hassle-free movement of donors must be facilitated so that blood banks can be replenished. He said this will help in saving precious lives amid this pandemic.