Bengal rushes to stock blood

The fear of violence in the run-up to the West Bengal polls and immediately after them has made the state AIDS prevention and control society (WBSAP&CS) ask government blood banks to store blood collected from voluntary blood donation camps.

The election commission has singled out West Bengal as the most violence-prone among the states going the polls.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose and leaders of other parties have already expressed fears of bloodbath during the polls beginning April 18.

“We fear there might be crisis in supply of blood during April and May. Youth forces play an active role in organising blood donation camps. This time a strong section of youth will be engaged with examinations, the cricket World Cup and, above all, elections,” said Dr Tapan Chakraborty, joint director of blood safety under the WBSAP&CS, which monitors the 58 government blood banks in the state.

Around 9,000 units of blood have been collected so far in 2010-2011, a figure higher than the preceding year. There are no official records on the number of voluntary blood donors.

All blood banks will soon be asked to send lists of registered blood donors to the WBSAP&CS. “We’ve plans to maintain records of the donors with individual history of health,” Chakraborty said.

A blood bank officer at Midnapore Medical College Hospital said blood supply would be essential as they would have to treat many injured from areas dominated by Maoists in West Midnapore and Bankura.