Chitwan faces severe blood crisis, Red Cross appeals for blood donation

Chitwan, March 19: A severe shortage of blood has been reported in Chitwan.

Amid this crisis, the Nepal Red Cross Society, Chitwan branch, has appealed to relevant organizations to organize blood donation programmes to address the situation. It is said that less blood donation activities in the aftermath of the election has led to the shortage.

At present, the district requires around 150 units of blood daily, and patients who have been prescribed blood for treatment are being affected by the scarcity. Blood donation programmes have been minimal since the election, disrupting the supply chain.

Relatives of patients are traveling to the Provincial Blood Transfusion Centre in Bhaktapur and other major hospitals to donate blood as replacement supplies. Patients from outside the district are facing particular difficulties in accessing treatment.

Bharatpur Hospital, the Cancer Hospital, and other healthcare facilities are experiencing shortages of blood for surgeries, including emergency cases. Cancer patients highly require blood transfusion, and similarly, new mothers and accident victims are also in urgent need of blood transfusion.

Blood shortage also in Koshi

Likewise, shortage of blood has also been seen in hospitals in Koshi province. 

In Koshi Province, due to the insufficient availability of blood in government and private hospitals, in emergencies, patients' relatives increasingly have to look for blood donors themselves, going out to the streets and placing requests on 'Facebook' walls.

The problem of blood shortage has become increasingly serious recently. Doctors say that in cases such as emergency surgery, accidents and childbirth, blood transfusion is required immediately, and the patient's life is at risk if it is not available on time.

Dr Shankar Prasad Adhikari, chairman of the Association of Private Health Institutions Nepal (APHIN) and also director of Hamro Hospital in Biratnagar, stated that this challenge of blood management has now emerged as a serious problem.

According to him, due to insufficient blood storage in blood transfusion service centres, hospitals are compelled to ask the relatives of non-emergency patients to arrange or exchange blood themselves. (RSS)