Surge in vector-borne disease cases results in shortage of hospital beds in Pune

The hospital is running at full capacity with no beds left for admission. Beds are kept reserved for emergency patients, says hospitals

In what is a matter of grave concern for patients, the surge in cases of vector-borne diseases such as Chikungunya and Dengue has resulted in a shortage of blood platelets in hospitals and blood banks not to mention difficulty in getting beds as most major hospitals are operating at full capacity.

The demand for both single-donor and random-donor platelets has risen sharply. So much so that many blood banks and hospitals are planning to organise blood donation camps to tide over the crisis. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The demand for both single-donor and random-donor platelets has risen sharply. So much so that many blood banks and hospitals are planning to organise blood donation camps to tide over the crisis. In Pune city, hospitals such as KEM Hospital, Sassoon Hospital, Sahyadri Hospitals, Jehangir Hospital, Ruby Hall Clinic, Poona Hospital, Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital, Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital have reported a shortage of blood platelets.

According to doctors, platelet transfusion is regularly required by patients suffering from Chikungunya, Dengue, Leukaemia and blood disorders, and those taking chemotherapy. The recent surge in cases of vector-borne diseases has increased the consumption of platelets and demand has increased.

Ram Bangad, founder of the NGO, Raktache Nate, said that the demand for platelets has increased to 40% in the city due to a surge in cases of Dengue and Chikungunya as well as very few or nil blood donation camps. Citizens should come ahead to donate their platelets and blood, he said. “This is the festive season when people travel to their villages for the Ganesh festival. This affects the blood donation camps in the city,” Bangad said.

Pune district has four government blood banks and 42 private ones. The majority of blood banks are facing an acute shortage of platelets while the rest of them have meagre stock that will last for two to three days. A normal person has a platelet count ranging from 20,000 to 450,000 per microlitre of blood.

Dr Snehal Mujumdar, head of the blood bank at Ruby Hall Clinic, said, that on an average, they require around 20 to 30 platelets which has now increased to 45 platelets daily. “We have to maintain the stock of platelets as per the norms of the NABH. Due to this, we are conducting in-house blood and platelet donation camps. Yesterday, the hospital doctors donated blood due to the huge demand. The entire stock that we get daily is exhausted and nothing is left due to which the blood donation camps are being conducted,” she said.

A Jehangir Hospital official said, “The hospital is running at full capacity with no beds left for admission. Beds are kept reserved for emergency patients. Most of the patients are suffering from vector-borne diseases and viral infections. We too have a shortage of platelets.”