kolkata: Various state-run blood banks at medical colleges across the city and the central blood bank are undertaking all possible measures to combat the crisis of blood which generally occurs during summers.
Due to excessive heat and forthcoming Panchayat elections, blood donation camps may be slightly affected in the districts. Blood donation camps provide a constant supply of blood to the central blood bank and also to other state-run hospitals and medical colleges in the city and districts.
A senior official of a state-run blood bank said that there are adequate units of blood preserved and they are ready to address the situation during scorching summer days. There is a crisis of negative or rare blood groups at the blood banks, which is difficult for them to address. But the overall situation is normal as there is enough storage of blood, the official added.
“There is always a crisis of rare blood groups at the hospitals due to the non-availability of donors. Out of 100 donors, one or two people have blood of rare groups. Hence, there’s always a crisis at all the medical college blood banks,” the official further said.
To mitigate the crisis, all the blood banks, including that of the state-run medical colleges are organising camps in various places to meet the demands of blood.
According to sources, all the medical colleges require more than 100-150 units of blood on a daily basis. Some units are kept preserved at the hospital blood banks for emergency cases.
A senior official of SSKM Hospital blood bank said people whose relatives are undergoing treatment in the hospital and will require a surgery must be aware so that they can arrange donors. This will help in releasing the burden on the hospital blood bank. All the blood banks maintain data, containing the numbers of the donors with rare blood groups, so that in case of emergency they can be contacted.
Various blood banks across the state often face an acute shortage of blood during summer and election phase as many of the blood donation camps remain stalled. Sources said there is a requirement of around 4000 units of blood per day across Bengal. But during the crisis period, about 800-2000 units are being collected on a daily basis.
The state Health department has taken up initiative to set up four blood component separation units (BCSU) across the state to address the crisis of blood which is reported sometimes from various parts.