Hospitals fear blood shortage as Bengal assembly polls and heat may hit donation camps

KOLKATA: With elections just over a month away, hospitals across Kolkata are bracing for a blood supply shortage, since donation camps, which are the principal source of blood, are set to be discontinued as local clubs and voluntary organisations which hold them will get busy with poll activities. While the number of camps drops every summer, they slide to almost zero during elections, said hospitals which are already exploring alternatives to keep the supply running.

While some are in talks with blood banks and mobilising voluntary organisations to hold camps before polls, others are looking at holding their own camps to ensure extra supply before polls arrive. While a private hospital is even ready to counter the deficit by getting its employees to donate blood, another is waiting for clearance to set up its own blood bank.

"We anticipate a seasonal dip in blood donations due to elections and summer months. We expect approval of our in-house blood bank licence by the first half of Apr. Additionally, many of our employees are keen on organising in-house blood donation camps, helping us to maintain adequate reserves and effectively tide over any potential shortage," said Sajal Dutta, chairman & MD, Desun Hospital.

Charnock Hospital is keeping ‘adequate additional stocks for the lean period'. "We have sufficient stocks but if there is such a situation, we, the hospital staff, are ready to donate blood for the sake of patients," said MD Prashant Sharma.

Ruby General Hospital, too, is bracing for a supply crisis during the election period and the post-election phase as well. "Since polls will be held in just two phases over a week this time, the shortage could initially be for a shorter duration. But it will happen and could continue till June-end when we will feel the impact of the dry period, triggered by the polls, that will see very few blood donation activities in April and the first half of May. We are activating our resources and manpower to hold camps over the next few weeks," said Ruby chief general manager – operations Subhasish Datta.

The summer months typically see a slight decline in blood donations, which may worsen during polls due to a dearth of blood donation camps, said Supriyo Chakrabarty, group advisor, BP Poddar Hospital.

"We conduct several camps in association with leading blood banks across Kolkata, and have a clear understanding of our average requirement for specific blood groups. While certain negative blood groups, such as AB negative, are relatively more difficult to source, we maintain a robust record and coordination with our partner blood banks to ensure timely availability without any delay. Our priority remains uninterrupted patient care, and we are well-prepared to manage any fluctuations efficiently." Kolkata needs around 6 lakh units of blood a year. Around 6065% of this is met from blood banks.