Platelet demand in 2 dists leaves officials in tizzy

Hyderabad: A significant increase in platelet demand has been observed in Jagtial and Karimnagar districts in recent weeks, prompting patients to seek donors in Hyderabad. Typically, requests for platelets are fulfilled within the districts, but the current surge suggests a rise in dengue or other viral diseases in these areas.
"It's unusual to see so many requests from these districts in the past month.We're receiving 3-4 requests per day from each district, which adds to the demand in Hyderabad. In previous years, we received only 1-2 requests per month from these areas, usually for blood cancer or thalassemia cases," said Bandi Shravan Kumar from the Hyderabad blood donors' network. He noted that current requests are linked to cases of unidentified fever accompanied by reduced platelet counts, in addition to dengue cases.
However, official figures from the state health department do not show any unusual rise in dengue cases in these districts, leaving authorities confused.
"In the last month, there has actually been a reduction in dengue cases. This increased demand may be driven by corporate hospitals recommending unnecessary platelet transfusions. In some cases, patients visit local practitioners and, after 4-5 days of persistent symptoms, are referred to private and corporate hospitals. These practitioners often receive a commission for referrals, leading to expensive treatments even when there is no immediate danger to life," a senior health official explained.
Meanwhile, platelet transfusions for dengue are necessary only when the platelet count falls below 20,000 (normal levels are around 1.5 lakh and above).
"Patients with a platelet count between 20,000 and 50,000 should be monitored, but transfusions are not typically required," the official added.