Blood Banks in Mumbai Runs Dry As Mumbaikar Celebrates Diwali; NGOs Plan Several Donation Camps
After the festival of Lights, Mumbai is facing a huge shortage of blood supply as very few blood donation camps were conducted in Diwali.
Mumbai, November 11: After the festival of Lights, Mumbai is facing a huge shortage of blood supply as very few blood donation camps were conducted in Diwali. According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Think Foundation NGO's Vinay Shetty said relatives of the patients, who were in dire need of blood, reached out to him as they couldn't find blood in Blood banks. Estimates by Think foundation suggested that at least 1000 people need to donate blood daily in order to meet the city's requirement. 5 Apps That Connect Blood Donors and Seeker Online.
The six-monthly reports by three largest medical facilities of the city- King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM), Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (LTMG) Sion and BYL Nair hospitals reported that despite collecting 11,375 units, 7,254 units and 6,507 units of blood through blood banks, they had to buy 5,343 units, 113 units and 1,055 units of blood from other blood banks to meet the requirements.
KEM Hospital, dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh while speaking to Hindustan Times said the shortage is likely to get over in coming days as a number of NGOs have come in support of major hospitals to fill the shortage.
Meanwhile, medical experts pointed out that thalassemia and leukaemia patients are suffering the most due to the shortage, as they need blood transfusion frequently. However, the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) had predicted the shortage and had conducted meetings with regional NGO's and organisations to conduct blood donation camps ahead of Diwali.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 11, 2018 01:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).