VIJAYAWADA: Non-emergency surgeries in the government hospitals of Krishna district have been put on hold due to acute shortage of blood in the blood banks. Like every summer, the government hospitals of the district are facing acute shortage of blood which can be attributed to increased demand for blood and lack of donation drives due to closure of colleges for summer vacation.
However, claiming that the blood shortage is not as acute as past years, District Leprosy Officer (DLO) Dr Usha, who is also the nodal officer for the blood banks, attributed the crisis to increased demand this year.
Speaking to TNIE, she said: “The shortage of blood in the blood banks is not that acute like past summers. However, all the minor and non-emergency surgeries in the government hospitals in the district have been suspended.”Detailing the collection of blood in April and May in both government and private blood banks, she added: “A total of 5,287 blood units were collected in April and May this year which was 3,000 units during the same period last year. However, the shortage of blood this year is due to high demand for surgeries.”
The shortage has also led to an unprecedented phenomenon in emergency surgeries. The Government General Hospital in Vijayawada is asking relatives of admitted patients to get blood from private blood banks. The hospital has only 150 units of blood left whereas the average daily requirement for admitted patients is of 20-25 units.