Blood donation camps restart in GB Nagar as Covid cases decline

Noida: With World Blood Donor day being marked on June 14, the Transfusion Medicine department of the Super Speciality Paediatric Hospital & Postgraduate Teaching Institute (SSPHPGTI), also known as Child PGI, in Noida will hold a blood donation camp on campus in Sector 30 on Monday

Noida: With World Blood Donor day being marked on June 14, the Transfusion Medicine department of the Super Speciality Paediatric Hospital & Postgraduate Teaching Institute (SSPHPGTI), also known as Child PGI, in Noida will hold a blood donation camp on campus in Sector 30 on Monday. As per medical experts, voluntary blood donations have reduced to a minimum since the second Covid wave hit the district in April this year.

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“Usually blood banks have enough stock as people voluntarily donate blood and we keep holding donation camps as well. But during pandemic situations, especially since April as cases increased, there was scarcity of blood. However, donations are carried out following all Covid protocols and especially since we are medical experts, utmost care is taken,” said Dr Satyam Arora, from Transfusion Medicine department at Child PGI.

He added that before the second Covid wave, the department used to hold camps in rural areas and high-rise societies as well to encourage voluntary donations. Now the department has restarted holding donation camps.

“As hospitals have also started opening non-Covid services, that include surgical procedures and patient treatments that were earlier suspended, there will be an increasing demand for blood. In such a scenario, without any voluntary donation, an acute shortage of blood can prevent procedures for those in need of life saving surgeries. Hence, people are encouraged to go out and donate blood,” said Dr Arora.

The transfusion medicine department of the hospital recently held a small camp in Dadri village to gauge the response among people.

“We held a small blood donation camp on June 10 in Dadri village and the response was good. There were 40 donors who came forward to donate blood in one day which was a good number, even during pre-pandemic days. This has encouraged us to hold more such camps which we will start from Monday,” said Dr Seema Gupta from the same department.

She added that the department will also hold more such camps across Noida during this month in order to mark the World Donors Day 2021. On June 12, the department along with National Health Mission Blood Cell (UP) also organised an online educational event on transfusion medicine which was focused on latest updates in the field of transfusion medicine and blood banking. Over 150 medical experts attended the same from all over UP.

“We have been raising awareness on social media and calling on people to donate blood. The blood bank at child PGI currently has 80 units of blood and supports patients of Thalassemia, cancer in children, cardiac surgery and newborn children requiring blood,” said Dr Arora.

Dr Gupta added that people should be encouraged to donate blood before they get vaccinated.

“Keeping in mind the vaccination drives happening across the district, our department is raising awareness on social media to urge people to donate blood two days before their vaccination appointment. This will help us avoid any blood unit scarcity,” she said.

She further informed that Covid patients can donate blood 28 days after their recovery or discharge from hospital after a radiological and virological clearance.

Meanwhile, the Rotary Blood bank in Noida will also observe the day by holding an in-house blood donation. “Our volunteers have been tasked to create awareness and encourage people to donate blood as we are holding an in-house blood donation camp at the Rotary Club on June 14 in order to mark the World Blood Donor day. However, there is still a lot of apprehension among people to donate blood. We have over 200 below poverty line (BPL) card holder patients of cancer and other diseases who require blood regularly from us, which is provided free of cost. But we have been struggling to provide them the same since the past two months as there have barely been any voluntary donations,” said Trilok Sharma, founder trustee of Rotary Blood Bank, Noida.