Blood donation camps in Hooghly have come to a stop due to prevailing heat wave conditions and the election code of conduct. Political parties mostly conduct blood donation camps and they can only resume organising such camps after the completion of the election process Most social welfare organisations are unable to organise blood donation camps without the assistance of political parties.

Even when some of the organisations hold blood donation camps, due to excessive heat very few people are turning up to donate blood. The assistant secretary of the Serampore Peyarapoe Shramajibhi Hospital, Mr Goutam Sarkar, said that due to shortage of blood, many surgical operations are held up. The most affected are the thalassemia affected children, Caesarean cases, critical accident victims and others. Mr Sarkar recalled that last Wednesday, a newly wed couple passing along the road spotted the blood donation camp at Shramajibi hospital and decided on the spot to donate blood.

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The groom, Bilash Hazra, bride Keya Samanta and the groom’s mother Mithu Hazra all donated their blood. We urge benevolent persons to come forward to donate their valuable blood to save precious lives, he said. A blood donation camp was organised by Shramajibhi hospital on Sunday. Among those donated blood were the kin of a patient from Ranchi, students and many local personalities. The Serampore IMA president, Dr Pradeep Kumar Das, advises blood donors to cool themselves in the shade or under air cooling system before venturing out into the sun after donating blood