Sambalpur: Sambalpur district stares at an acute blood shortage as blood banks here are soon going to run out of stocks as blood donation camps are not being organised due to restrictions imposed in the district over coronavirus scare, a report said.
The scare over coronavirus is so much that voluntary donors have stopped visiting the blood banks to donate blood for needy patients.
This has sparked concern among the district health authorities. It is apprehended that if camps are not organised soon then the situation might spill out of control.
This has hit the blood collection drive in the blood banks in Sambalpur headquarters hospital and at the VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR).
Reports said that things have come to such a pass that the stock at the blood bank in Sambalpur headquarters hospital can last for four days while at VIMSAR in Burla it is only for two days.
Blood donation camps held in regular intervals are a major source of blood collection which have almost stopped due restrictions imposed in the district over coronavirus.
Kin who donate blood in exchange for a patient are not being able to visit the blood banks due to non-plying of vehicles in the district.
According to reports available Monday, the blood bank at VIMSAR has only 89 units of blood including plasma and platelets out of which 40 units had been delivered to patients by 4 PM.
However, only 22 units were collected from the kin of the patients. As a result, the blood bank has now only 71 units of blood which will hardly last for two days. The blood bank at VIMSAR in Burla delivers 105 units of blood to patient every day.
Delivery of blood in exchange of a donor hardly takes place as most of the patients are from outside the district and state.
Similar is the case with sickle cell anemia and thallasemia patients where it is not compulsory for the kin to donate in exchange of blood.
The blood bank at Sambalpur headquarters hospital has no blood stock for A-positive and A-negative blood groups and only has 150 packets of blood. Over 18 units of blood were delivered Monday afternoon.
The private nursing home and hospitals in the district require 25 to 30 units of blood daily. Given the situation, the blood bank will run of stock within four days.
When contacted, CDMO Dr Sashi Bhushan Patel replied asking the voluntary blood donors and volunteers to visit the blood bank and donate blood as blood donation camps may not be organised in near future due to restriction over coronavirus.
PNN