3rd wave impact: Blood transfusions hit hard
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Hyderabad: Ever since the Covid pandemic had hit, it cast a shadow over blood transfusions with shortage in supply of blood and growing demand. In the third wave too, there have been concerns about the shortage of blood to meet the patient needs.
The widespread shortage of blood supply and growing demand in many parts of the city have significantly affected blood transfusion services in Greater Hyderabad limits. According to healthcare professionals, the blood donation process was negatively impacted by the Omicron-driven third wave due to a dramatic decrease in blood donors, forcing blood banks and blood donation centres to implement new policies to increase blood supply while protecting the donors from Covid infection. They further added that blood storage was severely reported as donors no longer came forward to donate the blood.
In Greater Hyderabad limits, there are 80 blood banks. Earlier, these used to have the storage of about 150 to 200 units of blood. Patients like those injured in accidents, pregnant women and thalassemia-affected had to face difficulties as they could not get blood from the blood banks.
The dip in blood supply has started since the start of January. Previously, individuals, voluntary organisations used to set up blood donation camps, but since the start of new year, so far, no such camp was organised in view of spike in Covid cases.
Staff from the blood banks said that the blood storage has dropped by more than half as blood collected in the past was only being supplied to those in an emergency. At the State-run Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) centre Narayanguda, currently, only five volunteers are visiting a day to donate blood, whereas earlier about 50 individuals used to donate blood daily. At present, there are only 50 units of blood available here.
The healthcare professionals informed that 3.5 lakh units of blood is required annually for supply in Hyderabad. Currently, only 1 lakh units of blood is available at the blood banks in the city.