Sambalpur: Blood donation drives by the blood banks in the state might get seriously affected with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday announcing free vaccination for all above 18 years in the upcoming vaccination drive from May 1 for the Covid-19 pandemic, a report said.
The move for free vaccination for youths by the state government has received wide appreciation from various quarters. Youths who are above 18 years are equally ecstatic for taking the vaccine with the pandemic spreading its tentacles in the state.
According to reports, blood banks are making all efforts to ensure that they don’t run out of blood for emergency patients. However, various bottlenecks are preventing them in achieving the desired results.
While the vaccination drive has triggered fears of slowdown in blood collection, the weekend shutdowns announced by the state government and the sweltering heat of the summer are also playing truant.
Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has also slowed down the blood collection drive as people are hesitant to attend blood donation camps fearing infections.
It is apprehended that blood banks in the state might run out of blood and emergency patients in need of blood transfusion could face serious problems with a large number of youths opting for vaccination at a time.
This is because youths who are the major contributors of blood to the blood banks might not be able to donate blood for a period of 28-days after taking the vaccine, the report said.
When contacted, Debashis Mishra, officer of blood bank at VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) at Burla, said that the youth are the major blood donors at any blood donation camp organised anywhere in the state.
He said that blood donation camps are organised at various places in the state to ward off the blood shortage in the blood banks, especially during the pandemic. This has helped in preventing blood shortage in various blood banks in the state.
As a result, critical and other patients have been able to receive blood when they required it. The weekend shutdown has also affected the blood collection drive as people fear to step out of their homes fearing crackdown by the police.
Moreover, kin of emergency patients find it difficult to reach the blood banks and receive blood for the same reason. He said that the blood bank currently has 200 units of blood, while 70-80 units of blood are supplied daily to the patients in VIMSAR.
He, however, said that the situation might improve after a month as there are plans to organise five blood donation camps by April end to ensure that there is no shortage of blood.
Dr Kalpesh Kakad, an officer of blood bank at the district headquarters hospital, said that the blood bank in the hospital faced acute blood shortage with only 30 units of blood in its stock.
However, the number went up after organising two camps at two different places. The total blood collection reached 111 after collecting 61 units from one camp and 50 from another camp.
Now, the blood bank is left with only 141 units of blood, which is likely to be exhausted in five days. Two more camps will be organised by April end, he added.
PNN