KOCHI: Now, the scare set off by the COVID-19 outbreak has spawned another crisis — blood banks in government hospitals across the state are witnessing a dip in the number of donors as fear of infection forces prospective donors to stay away.
“We are taking all steps to check the COVID-19 outbreak. The hospitals do not have sufficient stocks of blood. Due to COVID-19 scare, no one is willing to donate blood. Patients should not die due to the shortage of blood,” said Manoj Vellanad, a doctor at Thiruvananthapuram MCH, on his Facebook page.
Blood bank officials say the COVID-19 scare coupled with the government’s restrictions on conducting outdoor blood camps have led to a dip in blood donation.
“Every month we used to receive nearly 300 units of blood packets by conducting outdoor camps. But the Kerala State Aids Control Society has imposed restrictions on holding outdoor camps due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Though indoor camps are allowed, donors stay away due to fear,” said Vijayakumar, Blood Bank Medical officer (in charge), Aluva.
According to Blood Donors Kerala(BDK), a Thrissur- based organisation, nearly 1,000 patients in Thrissur need blood urgently . “ But after the COVID-19 outbreak, we are facing difficulty in finding donors,” said Sreekanth, coordinator, BDK.
However, the IMA(Kochi chapter) denied reports of any major shortage. “ We haven’t faced any shortage of blood donation during these days,” said Junaid Rahman, secretary, IMA blood bank.
Vinu Rajendran, assistant professor, department of transfusion medicine, Sree Gokulam Medical College and Research Foundation, Thiruvananthapuram, confirmed that there has been a decrease in blood donation by donors in the post-COVID-19 scenario.
KMCH sees 10 % drop
The hospitals where COVID-19 Isolation Wards have been set up are the worst hit, with the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH) witnessing a 10 per cent decrease in blood donation. The cancellation of outreach camps has severely affected the Government General Hospital (Beach Hospital).
“ On an average, up to 120 people visit the hospital daily for blood donation. This has declined to about 100 now,” said an assistant professor of transfusion medicine department. Salwah Ali M of Beach Hospital pointed out that while they have enough stock at the moment, if the situation persists for one more week, they will be in serious trouble. Seized of the dip in the number of daily donors from 60 to 10, post-COVID-19 outbreak, Government Medical College, Thrissur (GMCT), has kicked off an awareness campaign to allay people’s fears.
SCTIMST calls out to public
The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), which is encountering a crippling shortage of blood donors in the wake of Covid-19 scare, has sought public support to run its blood bank without any hiccups. Unlike many other hospitals, SCTIMST blood bank depends on voluntary donation.
“On Tuesday and Friday, we collected barely 10 units. The buffer stock will help us to survive for two or three days,” said S Sathyabhama of the hospital’s transfusion medicine department. Voluntary donors can contact the blood bank at 04712524476 on all working days between 8 am and4 pm
Regional Cancer Centre not hit
Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) director Rekha Nair said the hospital did not face shortage of blood at present.“We may face a shortage if the current situation persists,” she said.
(With inputs from our correspondents in Kozhikode and T’Puram)