Blood crisis hits patients at MKCG hospital as blood bank runs almost dry

The Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati Medical College & Hospital, popularly known as MKCG MCH, is now facing acute shortage of blood. The blood shortage is causing numerous problems, especially to the attendants of the patients who are undergoing treatment at the premier hospital.

Situation is such that patients and their attendants have to wait for days to get a unit of blood from the hospital's blood bank. It has become hard to get a unit of blood even if they manage to get a donor in exchange.

The status of blood units available at the MKCG hospital on May 9 clearly shows that there was no stock of any negative blood groups and only 10 units O positive (O+) group was available at 8 am.

The hospital usually witnesses an inflow of over 3000 patients on a daily basis and there is a requirement of around 50 to 60 units of blood. However, with the deepening blood crisis, not even 50 per cent of the required unit is available here.

“I had sought help from a person, who agreed to donate blood, as there was no stock here. The authorities asked me wait for hours here,” said Rukuna Nayak, a patient’s attendant.

Nayak’s husband is undergoing treatment at the hospital. Though she managed to get a donor, she is yet to get the required unit of blood for her husband’s treatment.

Gitanjali Biswal of Krushnaprasad block in Puri district has been visiting the hospital for her son, who is suffering from Thalassemia. Though she was able to get the blood from the blood bank earlier, she is facing difficulties this time around.

“Earlier, we used to get required units of blood here. But this time, I was told that there is no blood in the hospital,” said Biswal.

MKCG hospital superintendent, Sucharita Das said, “Last month, eight blood donation camps were held and seven camps are lined up. Collection is going on smoothly, but people are not coming forward to donate blood in summer.”

According to Das, around 40 to 50 units of blood is required daily and there is shortage of negative blood groups. “We hope to tide over the situation as 50 units of blood is expected to be collected from each camp. I urge people to come forward and donate blood,” she added.