KENDRAPARA: The blood bank of the district headquarters hospital (DHH) is running dry for want of donors resulting in immense hardships for patients.The DHH requires 450 to 500 units of blood in a month but in the present circumstances, the stock has dipped dismally to only three units of A+, two B +, as many AB+ and 12 units of O+ blood. There is no A- and B- blood in the bank. 

Kailash Parida of Icchapur village said his wife gave birth to stillborn twins at the DHH on Friday. After the cesarean operation, the doctor asked me to arrange blood for her. “The blood bank officials expressed their helplessness and told me to arrange a donor. It took me six hours to arrange a bottle of B+ blood for my wife,” he said.

In-charge of the Blood Bank Dr Alok Kumar Jena said, “Due to the lockdown, we are forced to tell relatives of patients to find donors. Earlier, the bank used to get blood from donation camps, which have stopped completely.  This has resulted in blood shortage in the bank.” 

As many as 160 thalassemia patients of the district depend on the blood bank. Besides, blood is also necessary for expecting mothers, patients suffering from anaemia, leukemia and several other diseases. The shortage has left these patients distressed.However, plans are on to organise blood donation camps at different places soon to tide over the crisis. “We have recently requested people to donate blood and save lives,” he added.