HYDERABAD: There was a steep fall in blood donation process during the third wave of COVID, which has caused an acute shortage of blood in all blood banks across the city since January.
Blood transfusion services in Greater Hyderabad have been severely impacted by a widespread shortage of blood supplies while the demand for blood is high in the city. Blood banks in City currently have only 1 lakh units of blood now, while 3.5 lakh units of blood are required for patients.
According to blood banks, the third wave of Omicron impacted the blood donation process, due to which donation centres that supply blood to the needy are facing shortage and are unable to provide the same. As people are not willing to donate, blood banks are quickly drying up.
Surprisingly, on an average, only five volunteers donate blood on a daily basis at Staterun Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) in Narayanguda, where roughly 50 people donated blood before the third wave daily.
There are just 50 units of blood available at IPM right now. Nearly 80 blood banks are active within Greater Hyderabad limits. Patients who meet accidents, pregnant women, and those who suffer from thalassemia are facing difficulty due to shortage of blood in banks.
Aleem Baig, Joint Secretary of the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society, Hyderabad, said "We saw a drastic downfall in donors in the recent days, due to which treating patients has turned difficult. Each month we treat nearly 2,000 patients who need blood every 15 days, we are forced to send back the patients due to the shortage. Parents of the patients are worried."
Telangana registers 256 new Covid cases
Telangana recorded 256 new Covid cases on Sunday with zero fatalities. There are 5,135 active cases in the state. As many as 767 more patients have recovered from the disease. Total number infection has reached 7,86,678, while as total number of recoveries stand at 7,77,434. As many as 4,109 died due to Covid in the State. The recovery rate was recorded at 98.82 per cent while as the fatality rate was at 0.52 per cent.