NEW DELHI: With three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, the blood donors in the national capital have reduced significantly, so much so that several blood donation societies are approaching donors in faraway villages to meet daily targets.
An estimate by government officials and blood donation societies put the fall in number of blood donors up to 50 per cent in two years.
According to an Indian Red Cross Society official, "We have established blood donation vans in Haryana and we collaborate with local NGOs to motivate the villagers and gram panchayats to provide blood to us. Colleges, universities which were a major contributor in blood donation are shut, the corporates are shut because of which we have struggled to meet our targets."
The major blood banks in Delhi have witnessed a reduction in blood donation. During the pandemic, some of the blood camps were also converted into COVID-19 hospitals which were not reconverted into blood camps, said the official.
The official added that a lot of time was also wasted as the donors were not given clear directions as to when they can donate blood post vaccination but now guidelines are clear and donors are coming fearlessly to donate blood.
The situation became severe in the first and the second wave and hampered patients suffering from thalassemia and other serious diseases.
According to an official with the blood bank at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, the number of donors reduced as they were scared to come to hospitals due to COVID. In January, the daily target of blood collection reduced to between 25-50 per cent. But now, the donors are returning, he said.
The situation is gradually becoming better in Delhi hospitals now, according to Dr Meenu Bajpai, professor, Department of Transfusion Medicine at ILBS. "With the Omicron variant, we are having a shorter wave. When the cases were rising, elective surgeries and other operations were postponed due to which the demand for blood had also decreased significantly. However, thalassemia-affected and those who need blood transfusion on a regular basis suffered," said the doctor.
Main Point
Many blood banks in Delhi witnessed a reduction in blood donation, as in the pandemic, some blood camps were converted into Covid hospitals which were not reconverted into blood camps