SRIKAKULAM: In a recent incident, Arika Hemalatha, a tribal woman from Buddamasingi village of Patapatnam mandal, was rushed to the GEMS Hospital near Srikakulam with a complaint of tumours in the uterus. Doctors advised surgery to remove the uterus. She has rare negative blood group (o negative). Since the blood of that group could not be found in any nearby blood bank, the patient's family finally contacted MGR Mobile Blood Bank. On receiving the call, three persons having the said negative blood group rushed to the spot and donated blood. This is a good reason for a group of youngsters which started a mobile blood bank in Srikakulam district.
The 200-member group saves lives by providing blood immediately to the victims of road accidents during emergencies and other surgical procedures. The members would visit the hospital where the patients undergo treatment. Responding to phone calls, not less than three donors from the said group would rush to the spot. "In one month of starting the blood bank, around 256 people from the Patapatnam assembly segment donated blood. On receiving the call, the message would be immediately circulated among the group members through Whatsapp and confirm the donors," said Mamidi Govinda Rao, the chairman of the MGR mobile blood bank.
After confirmation, the team despatches vehicles to the doorstep of the donor to pick up and drop them back home. Around 100 units of blood was donated till now. In the next few days the membership would reach 1,000 mark.
Meanwhile, the Indian Red Cross Society, the RIMS Hospital and the GEMS Hospital have blood banks in Srikakulam. Besides, government runs blood storage units at Tekkali and Palakonda areas hospitals. Since Itchhapuram is 140 km from Srikakulam, people there mostly depend on nearby blood bank in Berhampur. Similarly the people staying in border areas like Patapatnam and Meliaputti mandals depend on the blood bank at Parlakhemundi. "For accidental cases and surgical and medical procedures, not less than 3,000 units of blood is needed every month in the district. The blood banks as a whole could manage to supply hardly around 1,500 units a month. For the rest, people have to depend on Odisha and Visakhapatnam blood banks," said P Jagan Mohan Rao, the chairman of the Indian Red Cross Society Blood Bank.