BALURGHAT: A severe shortage of blood has hit two major government hospitals in South Dinajpur district — Balurghat District Hospital and Gangarampur Subdivisional Hospital — causing serious concern among patients and healthcare authorities. The crisis has emerged amid extreme cold weather conditions prevailing across the district, leading to a sharp decline in voluntary blood donation activities.
Hospital sources said that blood banks in both hospitals are currently struggling to maintain minimum stock levels of several vital negative blood groups. The situation has become particularly alarming for patients requiring emergency surgeries, accident victims, pregnant women and those undergoing regular treatments such as dialysis and thalassemia care.
According to officials, the primary reason behind the shortage is the sudden drop in blood donation camps over the past few weeks. Local clubs, social organisations and voluntary welfare groups—traditionally the backbone of blood donation drives—have significantly reduced their activities due to the biting cold.
Many potential donors are reportedly avoiding outdoor activities, fearing illness during the cold spell. Doctors at Balurghat District Hospital admitted that managing emergency cases has become increasingly challenging. In several instances, patients’ families have been asked to arrange donors on their own, adding to their distress during critical moments. Similar conditions prevail at Gangarampur Subdivisional Hospital, which caters to a large rural population from surrounding blocks.
Health department officials have appealed to social organisations to resume blood donation drives with proper safety measures, emphasising that blood donation is safe even during winter.
They also urged healthy individuals to come forward voluntarily to prevent the situation from worsening.
Reacting to the crisis, Sushanta Kundu, general secretary of the Dakshin Dinajpur Voluntary Blood Donors Forum, said: “The present blood crisis is mainly due to the lack of donation camps owing to the extreme cold.
We appeal to local clubs, organisations and conscious citizens to step forward immediately. Blood has no substitute and timely donation can save countless lives, regardless of the season. Despite the bitter cold weather, we conducted a blood donation camp on Monday.”