Bihar: As Covid cases spike, people stay away from blood banks

PATNA: In view of the exponential rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the state capital, many regular blood donors have stopped visiting the hospitals.
Kadamkuan resident Sanjay Kumar Singh, who was a regular donor before the lockdown, has stopped donating blood. “I don’t want to go out and risk the lives of the elderly in my house,” he said.
Mohit Shrivastava (28), who has been voluntarily donating blood for years, is now helpless. He said, “The virus has scared all of us. The situation is so bad that even patients in need of urgent medical attention are avoiding crowded places like hospitals.”
Consequently, hundreds of patients with blood disorders are having a tough time.
Social activist Mukesh Hissariya told this newspaper on Wednesday, “Although the haemoglobinopathies day care centre became functional at the Patna Medical College and Hospital last month, thalassemia patients unable to come to the city are facing acute shortage of blood. However, the situation is much better than the first two months of the lockdown.”
Blood bank owners also pointed that very few people were showing up for donating blood.
Red Cross Society officials claimed that even though the number of donors had increased during the Unlock period, the condition deteriorated after the government imposed fresh lockdown on July 10.
Society’s chairman Dr B B Sinha said, “Several donors have come to us for the noble cause during the last few weeks. After the lockdown, the collection of blood will get disrupted in the coming days.”
The employee of a private blood bank near Jagdeopath, Amit Kumar, said, “As of now, we are giving the reserved stocks to serious patients, who suffer from thalassemia, anaemia, bleeding disorders, kidney disease and pregnancy complications.”