Bengal: Blood banks face supply shortage as pandemic hits donation camps

On March 23, a day before the national lockdown was announced, the West Bengal government’s Department of Health and Family Welfare issued a circular expressing concern that the coronavirus outbreak may lead to a shortage of blood and blood components in the state during the following weeks, urging them to stay open and reminding them to follow various public health precautions against COVID-19.

Despite government orders, D. Ashish, Secretary of Medical Bank, a local organisation that encourages blood donations for thalassemia patients, said camp organisers were facing challenges in trying to organise blood donation camps in many neighbourhoods because residents were afraid that the gathering of people may lead to coronavirus infections. “We are appealing to young people and students to donate blood. Only people with patients in their families will realise how difficult the situation is right now and how thalassemia patients are suffering,” said Ashish. Among many organisers and donors, he said, there was also a lack of clarity regarding whether blood donations would continue to happen during the lockdown despite announcements by the state government.

According to Ashish, in West Bengal, 15 lakh units of blood are required every year, out of which 13 lakh units of blood are collected through blood donation drives. “Blood donation shortages usually occur in the state during elections, Durga Puja, the summer and during natural disasters. Blood collection during this season is poor and COVID-19 has reduced that number even further,” said Ashish. In West Bengal, 16 blood banks are operated by the central government, while the state government operates 84 blood banks. In the state, there are 34 private blood banks and the shortages in supplies, said Ashish, are being witnessed across all.

Patients with conditions like thalassemia are facing more challenges during the lockdown period because most blood donation camps have closed and the shelf-life of collected blood is only 35 days. “We have 50,000 thalassemia patients in West Bengal and they require 1,00,000 units of blood per month. Even if a patient’s family is managing to find a donor, they are facing difficulties with finding transport to reach blood banks,” said Goutam Guha, office secretary of the Thalassemic Guardians Association, a Kolkata-based organisation that provides support and medical assistance to thalassemic patients.

For low-income patients, the additional costs of transport, especially from the interiors of West Bengal to blood banks in the districts and in Kolkata and transport to district hospitals, have placed unexpected financial burdens on the patients’ families, that many are unable to afford, said sources.

Following the national lockdown, on April 1, Kolkata Police initiated a month-long blood donation programme to curb supply shortages. “50 police personnel will donate blood each day up till April 30. This will hopefully offshoot the shortage of blood in the banks to some extent. Kolkata Police is committed to the well-being of its citizens and this programme is in line with this,” Anuj Sharma, Commissioner of Kolkata Police, told The Indian Express.

At a press briefing at Nabanna on April 3, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: “I salute Kolkata Police for their contribution. On the one hand they are managing law and order, and on the other they are contributing 1,300 bottles of blood, which is for thalassemia patients. I salute them for working in this situation.”