Amid blood stock crunch, two ministers hold donation camps

KOLKATA: At a time when the entire state is facing acute shortage of blood, two Bengal ministers have come forward to organise blood donation camps.

State Food and Supplies minister Rathin Ghosh on Friday inaugurated a blood donation camp at Madhyamgram Municipality where he laid stress on the importance of blood donation during the pandemic situation. Blood donation camps have been badly affected due to Covid. Staff members of the Madhyamgram municipality took part in the camp at the municipality. Ghosh appealed to various organisations to come forward at this moment of crisis.

In another development, Bulu Chik Baraik, minister (Independent charge) of Backward Classes Welfare department also organised a blood donation camp at Malbazar Superspecialty Hospital. People in Malbazar have already been facing a blood crisis. Baraik urged locals to take part in blood donation.

About 90 per cent of blood donation camps have been stalled due to Covid. Sources said there was a requirement of at least 4000 units of blood per day across the state. But, about 800-2000 units are only being collected on a daily basis.

Most of the blood banks fail to provide blood against the donor cards as they lack adequate stock. A senior official of a blood bank said as there was shortage of blood, people who require blood are urged to bring a donor with them. Often, the blood banks fail to extract blood from the donor after their labs are closed in the evening. In that case, the patients' family members have to wait for the next day to get blood.