KHAMMAM: The State government has sanctioned four blood storage points in remote areas of the Bhadradri-Kothagudem district with an investment of Rs 47 lakh. They are going to be set up at Aswaraopet, Manugur, Yellandu, and Palvoncha. The government has allocated Rs 13 lakh for each storage point.
At present, the blood banks in Bhadrachalam and Kothagudem towns are unable to meet the huge demand for blood in emergencies. People who are living in remote places are facing hardships to get blood in an emergency and are forced to travel for more than 100 km to fetch blood.
More than 500 Thalassemia patients are going to either Kothagudem or Bhadrachalam every month to receive blood. The health department is also in need of blood in hospitals in remote areas where the doctors have been asked to do surgeries.
According to the district coordinator for hospital services Dr J Ravibabu, doctors have begun doing surgeries in care centres and small hospitals to prevent deaths due to delays in making treatment available to them.
As the need is being felt, District Collector D Anudeep has taken the decision to set up blood storage points in small towns. The Collector sent proposals to the government for which he had obtained sanction.
He said that new blood storage points would come in handy in attending to road accident victims.