Covid leads to blood crisis in north Bengal: Officials cite lack of donation camps due to pandemic, curbs- 471 new Covid cases in Darjeeling district

SNS, SILIGURI. 13 JANUARY 22: The raging third wave of Covid -19 has severely impacted blood banks as they are presently facing an acute blood crisis. Thalassemia patients are the most hit as they are faced with a challenge to survive in lack of the life-saving blood, sources have said.

According to officials, the surge in Covid cases and the restrictions in place have led to cancellations of blood donation camps.

"Blood banks are drying up as the pandemic has triggered cancellation of blood donation camps. Six such camps have been dropped so far this month," said the director of the Regional Blood Transfusion Centre (RBTC) at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri, Dr Mridumay Das.

The stock for negative groups is almost 'nil,' it is learnt.

There has been a drop in the number of blood donation camps because of the Covid-19 pandemic for almost two years now.

"Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the number of blood donation camps has kept decreasing. As time passed, the situation worsened," said a blood bank official.

The RBTC received 32 units of blood yesterday from a camp organised at Naxalbari, it is learnt.

The RBTC usually provides around 16 units of blood daily to thalassemia patients. A genetic blood disorder, thalassemia requires lifelong regular blood transfusions, usually administered every two to five weeks.

"We are facing a grave crisis of blood. Only 60-70 units are left, and there has been almost no stock of negative groups. The daily requirement of the blood for thalassemia patients is around 16 units. We were able to provide only seven units of blood to such patients yesterday, but do not know how long we will be in a position to supply the blood if the situation remains the same," Dr Das said.

Blood banks receive maximum units of blood through voluntary collection.

There are 19 government blood banks in north Bengal under the RBTC, and officials said the situation there too was more or less the same.

RBTC officials said that around 80 units of blood are supplied from the RBTC to the different health facilities, and the daily requirement of the NBMCH alone is around 6070 units. Sources at the RBTC said around 500 units of stock with at least 25 units of each positive group is an ideal stock.

471 new Covid cases in Darjeeling district

Darjeeling district recorded an unprecedented spike in Covid-19 cases today with 471 people testing positive for the virus in a single day. Wards under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation under Jalpaiguri district logged 239 cases, while areas of the corporation falling in Darjeeling district reported 195 cases, sources said.

Matigara and Naxalbari blocks registered 94 and 81 cases respectively.

Seventy-nine Covid patients also recovered in the past 24 hours, the sources added.