Srikakulam: IRCS blood bank hit by lockdown

Srikakulam: The Indian Red Cross Society's (IRCS) blood bank in the district is facing severe shortage of blood components due to Covid-19 lockdown. Due to lockdown regulations, blood donation camps are not being arranged frequently unlike past in the district. For the last 45 days, only two camps are organised by the IRCS by following all lockdown giuidelines.

In the wake of Covid-19 outbreak, the government has directed all private blood banks and hospitals not to collect blood from people by organising blood donation camps. Only IRCS is allowed to collect blood through donation camps. But due to lockdown, donors are not coming forward. At present IRCS blood bank is the only source for supply of blood for the needy patients in all government hospitals across the district.

Organisation of blood donation camp is difficult due to lockdown. In addition to it, pressure is building up on the IRCS blood bank from all hospitals due to insufficient availability of blood.

"We have only a few packets of "O" positive blood group. And this group blood is having huge demand from the patients," said IRCS Srikakulam district president P Jaganmohan Rao to The Hans India. Other groups like A and B positive and negative, "AB" positive and negative and "O" negative is not available at IRCS bank, he elaborated. He added that blood was essential for patients suffering from cancer, kidney ailments, thalassaemia diseases.