Blood donors down to a trickle in city

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

Blood donations have been severely disrupted due to the pandemic but officials are hoping to see a better response following the easing of pandemic restrictions. The donations have decreased 60% compared with the pre-pandemic levels, said Reshma Rai, Blood Centre Coordinator, Indian Red Cross Society.

“Primary donors of blood are MNC professionals and college going students. With MNCs working in a hybrid model and students trying to catch up with their curriculum, the donations still remain minimal,” she said. Many people from the general public who regularly donated have migrated back to their towns and villages due to the pandemic, she added.

Every year the Red Cross Society used to collect around 38,000 units of blood through its camps and mobile blood collection vehicles. But for the past two years it has been struggling to collect even 18-19,000 units. “We used to supply blood units all over Karnataka, but now are unable to fulfil even the needs of Bengaluru,” Reshma said.

Dr Narashima Swamy, Medical Officer at the Rotary Blood Bank, said they have seen a 30-40% decrease. “The scenario is not like it was during the first wave and second wave. There was a severe shortage then. With the third wave being mellow and not many hospitalisations happening, people do come out to donate,” he said.

But the donor count is not up to expectations. “Even though the donor camps have increased, the number of expected donors is dwindling. If we expect 200 people to donate at a camp, we are only seeing around 130,” he said. The fear of catching communicable diseases has also increased due to the pandemic. “People assume Covid can be acquired through blood but it is not so. Awareness is important to see a rise in the number of blood donations,” Reshma said.

People can donate blood after 14 days of taking the Covid vaccine, may it be the first, second or precautionary dose, she concluded. The reduction in blood donation affects patients who are in dire need of regular blood transfusion. For example, one may need a blood transfusion if he or she has a condition that affects the way red blood cells work – such as sickle cell disease or thalassaemia, a type of cancer or cancer treatment that can affect blood cells – including leukaemia, chemotherapy, or stem cell transplants.

According to the Karnataka State Aids Prevention Society (KSAPS), the state was collecting an average of 8.6 lakh units of blood annually in 2018 and 2019, before the pandemic struck. But in the first year of the pandemic, only 6.3 lakh units of blood (78% of the annual target of 8.08 lakh) were collected. The quantity declined further in 2021 with only 4.89 lakh units being collected (61% of the annual target).