Mhow: Though a blood bank and blood collection centre existed at Red Cross hospital for past many years, it was of no use for local residents. Mhow SDM Anshul Gupta, who is also the ex- officio chairman of the hospital, held several rounds of meetings with the hospital staff after taking charge. It was then that he realised that the fully equipped blood bank in the hospital was not properly utilised despite the fact that a doctor was also employed to maintain it for which he draws salary of Rs 40,000.
Gupta then went in for an overhaul of unit and got modern machines. With new facilities, the bank will have capacity to store 70 units of blood at a time, which is sufficient for a place like Mhow. As the rates of various facilities have been lowered by hospital administration, the rates of the blood units will also be lower than other hospitals in Mhow. Also, local residents will not be required to go to Indore for blood. People are of view that if blood donation camps are organised regularly, blood bank will have sufficient stock.