The second wave of COVID-19, followed by lockdown restrictions, has severely affected blood donation drives in the recent months. At the same time, however, demand for blood has also dropped as hospitals are postponing elective surgeries.
Chairman of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Karnataka State Branch S. Naganna told The Hindu that before the pandemic, the IRCS used to collect 3,500 blood units per month. Over the past few months with the steep rise in cases, this has dropped to 500-600 units. He pointed out that while elective surgeries can be postponed, there is still a need to provide blood to patients with Thalassemia or cancer, road accident victims, those on dialysis, and other emergency procedures.
One of the reasons for poor collections is the inability of banks to conduct large drives. Working professionals and students, who form the bulk of donors, are no longer easily accessible as colleges are closed and people are working from home.
“The situation is grim….