To ensure that people from rural areas do not have to travel to district hospitals for blood transfusion, the government has launched a drive to provide 207 blood units in sub-district hospitals across the state. The blood for these units will come tested and approved from blood banks.
“The blood will be tested for infections such as HIV and HBV virus at blood banks. The approved blood will then be transported to sub-district centres, where it will be stored. The centres in sub-district hospitals will not have testing facilities,” said Dr Abhay Dixit, who handles blood-related disorders at Directorate of Health Services (DHS).
Currently, only district hospitals house blood banks, forcing patients of thallassemia, haemophelia, sickle cell etc from rural areas to travel all the way to nodal centres. In cases where a birth requires a caesarean section, doctors have to procure extra blood before proceeding with the surgery. Now, based on their out patient department footfall, sub-district hospitals will be provided with blood storage facilities. Till now, 145 such centres have been set up.
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There are 14,785 patients of sickle cell in the state, who require blood transfusion frequently. With the disease more prevalent in tribal pockets, this move can benefit patients immensely. Currently, under the blood-on-call toll-free helpline of the state government, facility for transporting blood units, for Rs 450 each, is available from government attached blood banks to hospitals within a 50-km radius. There are 64 motor bikes for the entire state to transport these units to hospitals whenever a call is received.
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