Thalassemia patients in lurch as Balurghat Blood Bank runs dry

BALURGHAT: Thalassemia patients are in a lurch as Balurghat blood bank runs dry with hardly any blood donation camps taking place in the winter months.

Negative blood units have almost touched zero. As of Saturday afternoon, only one unit of B negative blood was available with not a single unit of A negative and AB negative blood in the blood bank.

With the ongoing winter season, blood donation camps have become relatively less. The authorities are struggling to maintain a steady supply as per the demand. Balurghat Blood Bank is under the same roof as the Balurghat District Hospital where a lot of people appear with the demand for blood everyday.

The highest demand for blood is for patients with Thalassemia. Thalassemia patients from any part of South Dinajpur district have to be admitted to Balurghat District Hospital for blood transfusion because this is the only thalassemia control unit in the district. Babun Das, a resident of Kumarganj, requires blood for his 11-year-old son who is suffering from thalassemia.

“My son has to give blood almost every month but at times the blood bank authorities ask us to bring blood donors as stocks are exhausted in the blood bank. It is difficult to find donors, especially in the winter season. This problem is acute for negative group patients,” said Das.

The Balurghat Blood Bank requires around 200 units every month. Blood donation camps are the only means to keep this blood supply running. As winter progresses, there is a shortage of blood donors in blood donation camps.

Dr Debabrata Dey, Medical Officer of Balurghat blood bank, said: “There are fewer blood donation camps in the winter. However, on Friday, I received more than 100 units of blood from blood donation camps in three places. We hope to tackle the situation with this supply as of now.”