Several government and private blood banks in the city are running out of stocks leaving patients in severe crisis at the time of need. “The crisis is very common in every summer. We have requested people associated with the health department to increase blood camps,” said Ajoy Chakraborty, director of state health service.

“The situation is likely to worsen in the coming days,” said an official of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) blood bank. However, director of the CMCH blood bank denied of any shortage of blood. A queue was observed outside CMCH blood bank on Sunday. People waited outside in the sweltering afternoon in search of blood for their relatives.

The situation was quite similar in Nil Ratan Sircar Hospital where about 40 people were asked to come later to collect or enquire about the necessary blood samples. “There is blood shortage in our hospital”, said a staff of SSKM hospital blood bank. One Shakila Khatun (20) is admitted to Calcutta Medical College and hospital diagnosed with blood cancer.

Her husband, Mehtab Hussain, is running from one blood bank to another in search of “A+” blood. “CMCH blood bank is going through a crisis. They have referred me to Maniktala Central Blood Bank to collect the blood,” he said. It is difficult to organise blood donation camps in this excessive heat.

Moreover, due to panchayat polls, all parties are involved in the poll fray. Last year during summer, chief minister asked her party leaders and workers to organise night blood donation camps to fill up the shortage. The Kolkata Police also organised blood donation camps last year to meet the shortage.

The Central Blood Bank, meanwhile, has asked Hussain to trade one unit of frozen plasma with his blood. However, it was not possible for Hussain to donate any blood who had already donated day before yesterday and had to return without the blood.

The director of Central Blood bank, Dr Kumaresh Halder, refuted the allegation, saying: “We have two blood donation camps today. Hopefully, it will help us survive through the crisis”, added Dr Kumaresh Halder The Life Care Blood Bank and Bhorukha Blood bank is also facing blood shortage.

“Our state needs 10 lakh units of blood every year out of which we manage to collect only 8.5 lakh units. The districts are also going through a shortage leading people from the districts to look for blood in the city,” said Tanmoy Majhi of Tamluk, who came looking for “A+” blood for his cancer-stricken wife.

D Ashish, secretary, Medical Bank, said that the state health department should take initiative to make people aware of the necessity to donate blood.