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Polls, cyclone affect Kolkata blood banks

KOLKATA: In the aftermath of the cyclone ‘Aila,’ the city’s blood banks are battling another storm: their stocks are depleting because the districts of North and South 24 Parganas, the worst affected in West Bengal, are areas on which they depend for donors.

In May, nearly every blood bank collected only half of what is usually collected. “Our blood bank relies on Kolkata’s nearby districts, which have been severely hit by ‘Aila’,” says Kinshuk Mishra, director of Bhoruka Blood Bank. “We haven’t been able to conduct any camp in these areas.”

The collection of the Bhoruka Blood Bank has diminished from an average 900 units of blood to merely 400 units in May.

Another reason for the drop in the collection at a number of banks is that some NGOs, which organise blood donation camps, are busy providing relief to cyclone victims, says P. Chatterjee of Ashok Blood Bank.

The crisis is compounded by several factors, Dr. Mishra says. In summer, fewer donation drives are organised. The elections also had a role to play in the poor collections. In an election year, the clubs, which normally organise donation camps, are caught up in campaigning.

S. Biswas of the Lions Blood Bank confirms this. “At our blood bank, a series of camps were scheduled from May 10 to 17, but because of the polls, they were cancelled,” she says.

Anticipating the “summer crisis,” many blood banks have resorted to exchange donations. The Lions Blood Bank and the Lifecare Blood Bank offered a unit of blood only if a family member or friend donated a unit irrespective of the group. “This strategy helped us sustain our supplies despite the crisis,” says Dr. Biswas. As the Lions Blood Bank is also a centre for thalassemic children, it is crucial that it maintains its stock.

But the crisis has affected even those banks that adopt exchange donation. “Even though we conducted exchange donations, the crisis in other banks has increased the pressure on us,” says Bhowmik of Lifecare Blood Bank.

“We planned for the summer crisis since last October, but who could anticipate ‘Aila’,” he says. The bank collected only 4,000 units in May as against the usual 7,000 units.

Experts predict a crisis in the festival season. According to Dr. Bhowmik, all the clubs will be preoccupied with Durga Puja, and the donation camps will not be held.

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