Mysuru: The impact that Covid-19 has had on the healthcare sector is multi-dimensional. One of the problems that many hospitals are facing is arranging blood for patients, particularly those in imminent need of it.
It is little wonder then that kin and friends of several patients have been flooding social media sites with pleas to voluntary donors for blood. Several private multispecialty hospitals across the state are grappling with shortage of blood for emergency cases.
Director of the Mysuru chapter’s Blood Helpline Karnataka Mohammed Zeeshan admitted that the Covid-19 infection had drastically altered the medical situation across the country. “Before the crisis erupted, we could arrange blood in a matter of one or two hours, but it is taking us nearly six hours now,” said Zeeshan, adding that most hospitals had closed their blood banks down, which had compounded the problem.
“Only a few big hospitals have blood banks of their own. Consequently, arranging blood has become a daunting task. But we are ensuring that those in need are getting blood through donors,” he said.
President of the Peace and Awareness Trust in Mudigere taluk in Chikkamagaluru Itaf Bilagula said that the lockdown had prevented his organisation from holding blood donation camps. “But I am doing what I can, and arranging blood for those in dire need of it by reaching out to those I know,” Bilagula said.
However, government officials deny that there is any shortage of blood. Officials in the health department pointed to the deferment of all major surgeries and the drastic reduction in the number of road accidents owing to the lockdown to state that the demand for blood had come down as a consequence. “The bigger problem is the non-availability of essential medicines in a few villages since medical representatives are unable to visit rural areas owing to the lockdown,” said an official.
Head of the Krishna Rajendra Hospital blood bank Dr BS Manjunath said: “Yes, the number of in-house donors has come down. From 40 to 50 donors who came forward to give blood in one week prior to the lockdown, the number has come down to 12 to 15.
It is little wonder then that kin and friends of several patients have been flooding social media sites with pleas to voluntary donors for blood. Several private multispecialty hospitals across the state are grappling with shortage of blood for emergency cases.
Director of the Mysuru chapter’s Blood Helpline Karnataka Mohammed Zeeshan admitted that the Covid-19 infection had drastically altered the medical situation across the country. “Before the crisis erupted, we could arrange blood in a matter of one or two hours, but it is taking us nearly six hours now,” said Zeeshan, adding that most hospitals had closed their blood banks down, which had compounded the problem.
“Only a few big hospitals have blood banks of their own. Consequently, arranging blood has become a daunting task. But we are ensuring that those in need are getting blood through donors,” he said.
President of the Peace and Awareness Trust in Mudigere taluk in Chikkamagaluru Itaf Bilagula said that the lockdown had prevented his organisation from holding blood donation camps. “But I am doing what I can, and arranging blood for those in dire need of it by reaching out to those I know,” Bilagula said.
However, government officials deny that there is any shortage of blood. Officials in the health department pointed to the deferment of all major surgeries and the drastic reduction in the number of road accidents owing to the lockdown to state that the demand for blood had come down as a consequence. “The bigger problem is the non-availability of essential medicines in a few villages since medical representatives are unable to visit rural areas owing to the lockdown,” said an official.
Head of the Krishna Rajendra Hospital blood bank Dr BS Manjunath said: “Yes, the number of in-house donors has come down. From 40 to 50 donors who came forward to give blood in one week prior to the lockdown, the number has come down to 12 to 15.
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