Bengaluru: Soldiers donate blood amid lockdown-linked shortage

Kiran Parashar | TNN | Apr 5, 2020, 09:20 IST

More than 100 soldiers of Madras Engineering Group donated blood to cancer patients being treated at Kidwai

BENGALURU: Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, which has been hit by severe blood shortage, has found help from a different source: Soldiers from Madras Engineering Group (MEG).
With the Covid-19 lockdown affecting voluntary donations, sourcing of blood for cancer patients had become a Herculean task for the hospital authorities. Many volunteers had been backing out fearing harassment by police on the streets. When the authorities made distress calls seeking support, MEG responded by organising an emergency blood donation camp on Friday.
More than 100 soldiers of MEG donated blood to patients being treated at Kidwai. According to sources, the hospital started facing 60 per cent blood shortage by Tuesday and wasn’t getting enough donations. Sources said, “Earlier, at least 50-60 people used to donate blood on a daily basis, but after the lockdown, we faced a shortage. By Tuesday, we were anxious. Thankfully, the soldiers offered to help.”
The donation camp was held from 10am to 2.30pm on Friday. The authorities made sure social distancing norms were followed. However, the hospital said they need blood once every five days, particularly platelets, blood plasma and packed red blood cells. The validity of these components is only up to seven days.
The hospital will approach the police commissioner on Monday seeking his intervention in getting blood donors from across the city. “National Blood Transfusion Council has chalked out guidelines and we can collect blood from volunteers,” said the hospital. Dr C Ramachandra, director of Kidwai, said, “We need at least 300 units of blood every week.”