The Balurghat hospital in South Dinajpur is reeling under an acute shortage of blood. The situation has become critical and patients are suffering the most since the past two weeks.
According to hospital sources the situation deteriorated due the Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examination after social service organizations in the district failed arranging blood donation camps since the last one month.
“The number of blood donation camps will decrease due to the upcoming panchayat elections and if this situation continues for the next 15 days the situation will worsen,” claimed hospital sources.
The stock of blood in the Balurghat blood bank has dried up. Doctors, in the meantime to continue their service are demanding blood from the relatives of the patients.
The district blood bank now is left with only four A+, nine B+, two AB+ and one O+ blood bags while it has no stock of negative blood since the last few weeks, said sources. The average requirement of blood in the district including the sub-divisional hospital every day is 25 to 30 units.
However, in the last one month no blood donation camp has been organized in the district, it is learnt. According to Nanibala Barman, a resident of Kumarganj, touts are demanding Rs 1500 for a single unit of blood.
“I have no relatives with me. My mother is a cancer patient and she needs two units of blood. I have requested the doctors to arrange blood for my mother but they failed,” said Mr Barman.
The chief Medical Officer of Health, Sukumar Dey said, “There was no major donation camp in the last one month due to commencement of the West Bengal board examination and the expected collection of blood failed to be achieved. We have urged all the blood donors and social organization to organize blood donation camps as soon as possible.”