Meeting to suggest measures on combatting blood shortage in city

With the ongoing summer vacation, the city’s blood banks are reeling under a severe shortage. From an average stock of 10,000 to 15,000 blood units, the banks have been able to maintain an average of only about 5,000 units.

Dr Arun Thorat, head of State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) said, they will hold meeting to discuss crisis and experts have also emphasised on organising more donation camps during the summer vacation.

“We will be holding a meeting on Wednesday with the voluntary blood donors’ committee, which consists of non-profit organisations, religious trusts, and corporates to discuss on the issue,” said Dr Thorat. As per the SBTC authorities, every year, blood banks suffer huge shortage during the months of April, May and June.

“On an average, around 16 lakh units of blood is collected in the state every year, the minimum average requirement is 11.23 lakh units,” said Thorat.

Blood donation takes a hit during the summer and Diwali vacations as colleges, where many blood donation camps are organised, remain shut. This is also the time when many people travel.

Dr Thorat said the crisis typically starts towards the end of April and continues till the first week of June. “On a daily basis, the city requires 800 to 1,000 units of blood. During the period of shortage, the problem occurs when a patient requires a rare blood group,” he said.

According to Vinay Shetty from the Mumbai-based Think Foundation, which organises blood donation camps, there has to be a solution to this yearly problem.

“The last one-and-a-halfmonth has been bad and we are putting best of efforts to get the situation under control. Corporates want to organise camps on World Blood Donors’ Day in June. But what we need to understand is the requirement of blood is on daily basis and throughout the year,” said Shetty.