City hospitals facing severe blood shortage; Thalassaemic patients left on their own

Hospitals and blood banks are staring at an acute shortage of blood supply due to the Covid-19 crisis. This decline in supply is a direct result of reduced blood donation camps. The fear of being exposed to the virus while donating blood at camps is also a major factor.

Stats on recent blood donations

The decline in the blood supply is quite evident. The number of blood units collected in Maharashtra through blood donation camps are as follows: 110,000 in March, 99,000 in June and just 62,000 in August. This has adversely affected the state’s 9700 thalassaemic patients. Due to the lockdown, the number of accidents had significantly decreased, so blood banks did not feel the impact of the decreased donations immediately. However, it has been many months of low supply now and the effect is clearly seen. As of October 14th, Mumbai has just 2,381 blood units left in 53 blood banks, and the state has 15,232 units in 287 blood banks. This stock is enough to tide them over the next five to seven days instead of the 15-day average.

Thalassaemic patients worst affected

Thalassaemic patients are the ones bearing the brunt of the shortage. Patients suffering from Thalassemia need blood transfusions at least 3-4 times a month. State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) norms mandate free blood supply for thalassaemia patients from any blood bank. However, owing to the pandemic, blood banks are now asking thalassaemia patients to get their own donors in an attempt to replenish their stock. This led to a very dire situation at Lokmanya Tilak Hospital, where Mahima Kamble had to resort to beg people to donate blood for her 12-year-old thalassaemic son. This is just one case among thousands of children suffering from this disease in the city, who are now forced to look for donors every time they need a transfusion.

What next?

Dr Arun Thorat, in-charge of SBTC, has spoken to multiple media outlets on the situation. He said, “This stock is lower than our target. We are asking blood banks to hold more camps. We are making an appeal to the public to step out and donate. It is a social responsibility.” SBTC has not taken action against blood banks demanding replacement donors from thalassaemia patients. He added that the situation is grave as the number of blood donation camps has reduced from 2500 per month to less than 1500 a month. He added, “We used to get blood from college students, corporate-funded drives and National Service Scheme (NSS) events. We have requested colleges and the NSS to resume blood donation drives.” The Home Department has told Navratri mandals to conduct blood donation drives while ensuring that they follow social distancing.

An appeal

No matter how much effort is taken to organise donation camps, it comes down to us- you and me- to actually go out there and donate blood. People do not need to be told how important it is to donate blood regularly. The majority of us who are educated and privileged to live in a city, know the importance of blood donation. So, whether you do it or not is a conscious and an informed decision. And if you don’t, you need to ask yourself why. Because the city needs it more than ever. The people of the city are facing an unprecedented crisis and unlike many other problems, this is one that you can help solve.

Go out there, donate, and save a life.