Ajay Joshi
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 7

The reduction in the deferral period for blood donation from 28 days to 14 has come as a relief as the blood banks had run dry owing to the vaccination drive. The decision was taken by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on Wednesday. The task of arranging blood had become harder for NGOs and blood banks.

Amid surge in Covid positive cases and intensified vaccination drive, the NGO reported to have serious dearth of rare blood groups. It is also directly affecting blood transfusion of thalassemia patients.

Dearth of donors

• Trishla Sharma, a social worker, who looks after the regular blood transfusion of thalassemic children says, she has 24 thalassemia patients and needs 50 blood units monthly, however, the situation has become such that if she calls around 50 donors, only five turn up.
• “Earlier, we also had donors above 45 years of age, but now, due to Covid vaccination, they aren’t available for blood donation. Due to the Covid spread, youngsters are also refraining from donating blood.” She said it has been two weeks that she has been giving pick and drop facility to the donors

Vardhan Chaddha, a member of ‘The Blood Association’, while making an appeal to residents with AB+, O+, AB- and other negative blood group holders, to come forward to donate their blood before getting Covid vaccination injected, said, “It has been a month since we are facing shortage of blood units at both government and private blood banks. Almost all blood banks have nearly 8-12 blood units, which is alarming. If situation remains the same, we won’’t be able to help those in need of blood in the coming days. The consistent rise in Covid-19 caseload has severely impacted the blood donation.”

Similarly, Trishla Sharma, a social worker, who looks after the regular blood transfusion of thalassemic children says, she has 24 thalassemia patients and needs 50 blood units monthly, however, the situation has become such that if she calls around 50 donors, only five turn up. “Earlier, we also had donors above 45 years of age, but now, due to Covid jab they aren’’t available for blood donation. Due to the Covid spread, youngsters also unavailable. It has been two weeks since she has been giving pick and drop facility to the donors,” she adds.

Trishla further added that, after detailed deliberations with the experts, it has been decided to reduce the deferral period for blood donors to 14 days after receiving any dose of the Covid-19 vaccination, hence those who have been vaccinated, shouldn’’t worry and come forward for blood donation.

After a gap of several weeks, Vardhan has also received permission to hold a blood donation camp at Red Cross Bhawan on Saturday. “Only 20 donors will be called for the donation, one at a time, and all precautions would be kept in place,” added Vardhan whose helpline number is 9780978181.