Four blood storage units sanctioned for Kothagudem

Kothagudem : Good news for the people suffering from sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia as the State government has sanctioned funds for the establishment of four blood storage units with the goal of improving medical infrastructure in government hospitals in the Kothagudem district.

District Collector Anudeep Durishetty announced that Rs 47 lakh has been sanctioned for the establishment of blood storage units as well as the purchase of equipment for a blood storage unit already sanctioned for Paloncha Community Health Centre (CHC).

The creation of blood storage units would be extremely beneficial in treatment of sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, road accident patients, and women in childbirth circumstances.

Blood storage units have been approved for the rural Aswaraopet CHC, Manugur Area Hospital, and Yellandu CHC, where operation theatres have recently been established and surgeries are being done. The Collector stated that Rs 39 lakh would be spent on establishing new blood storage facilities at a cost of Rs 13 lakh each unit.

The purchase of equipment for the Paloncha CHC unit would cost Rs 8 lakh. Anudeep added that ICICI Bank spent Rs 20 lakh CSR funds to provide a truck for transferring blood from blood banks to blood storage units, and he praised DCHS Dr. G Ravi Babu for his efforts over the previous six months to have blood storage units approved.

District Coordinator of Hospital Services (DCHS) Dr Ravi Babu stated that Health and Family Welfare Commissioner Sweta Mohanty recently issued an order sanctioning the funds and requested that district officials to provide estimates.

For blood transfusions, blood banks are currently accessible at Kothagudem Government General Hospital and Bhadrachalam Area Hospital. With the new blood storage units, it will be easier to transfuse blood locally, allowing patients to avoid the strain of travel, he informed.

He said there are approximately 1,000 patients with sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia. The blood storage units, which will be set up in a month, would assure continuous blood availability and will be lifesavers for them. Platelet separation could be done in blood banks, but blood storage units simply serve to store blood.