Mangaluru sees blood shortage this summer
MANGALURU: The scorching summer has not just resulted in water scarcity in the coastal city, but has also resulted in blood shortage. As colleges — where most of the blood donation camps are conducted — have closed on account of summer vacation and with Ramadan fasting commencing, the number of people coming forward to donate blood has come down sharply in Mangaluru city.
Sources said while the city’s daily requirement of blood is around 300-400 units, the inflow is not even half of it. The blood bank of KMC Hospital near Jyothi Circle is receiving just 3-5 units of blood per day in place of 10-40 that it was receiving last month. On the other hand, the demand for blood has gone up as people prefer to get elective surgeries done during vacation and before the onset of the monsoon. A major source of blood are college students and youths belonging to various associations.
The blood banks, however, are managing with the buffer stock which they created in anticipation of such a situation. Edward Vas, Technical Supervisor, Indian Red Cross Blood Bank, says the short supply of blood is common during every summer vacation and hence they prepared for it in March itself by stocking more blood. Sources in various blood banks said that the situation has not yet turned grave as people are able to find blood as the city is home to 13 such facilities. “A month ago, people used to get blood of common groups in any blood bank. Now, they have to scout for it. However, the online data and network of blood banks have made the search easy,” Vas said.
Sources said there is also a shortage of A+ve and AB+ve blood groups. However, Vas expects the situation to improve in the coming weeks with the opening of colleges and launch of blood camps by NSS, NCC and other organisations.