Pulkit Vasudha

State Health Minister Ashok Bhatt said, “It is a Central government policy that only non-profitable organisations can organise blood donation camps. And, in my knowledge there has never been a shortage of blood in the state.”

While most big hospitals have their own blood banks or blood storage units that they run in collaboration with large blood banks, it is the private hospitals, which lose out in the battle for blood. Though the privately-run Gujarat Blood Bank receives about 15 to 25 donors daily, but owing to the ban on blood donation camps, it has never met its demand.

Dr Navin Patel, of the Mahagujarat Blood Bank, said, “About 95 per cent of the demand is met through replacement donors, who donate when a patient needs blood. Each bypass surgery patient alone requires at least five units of blood. Considering the number of such surgeries performed in the city daily, it is no surprise that blood banks have to rely on replacement donors.”

“Since voluntary donation camps were discontinued in 2001, the demand for blood has risen manifold. Many complex surgeries are performed in Ahmedabad for which there is always a shortage of blood,” said a doctor who has private practice in Navrangpura. “It is critically ill patients who are always at the receiving end because of this short supply,” he added.

Vijay Shah, president of the Gujarat chapter of the Indian Blood Bank Association, said, “There is a huge gap between demand and supply of blood not just in Ahmedabad or Gujarat, but in the entire country.”

As always, problems give rise to solutions. A group of people have networked through the internet to combat this crisis. They have posted their names, blood groups and contact details on Orkut, so that people in need of blood can contact them.

Dilip Barad, a professor at a Junagarh college, is a regular voluntary donor. “I motivate my students by being the first one to donate blood at camps. I also make make enquries at blood banks every three months and donate blood wherever there is a shortage. I have joined the group on Orkut as it an innovative way of dealing with blood crisis.”

Ankur Chhajjer, a resident of Ahmedabad, said, “Since I posted my blood group information on a networking portal, three people have already contacted me for blood. The internet is a powerful medium for information and our community of blood donors has already helped patients in need.”

Banking on blood

* It is a Central government policy that only non-profitable organisations can organise blood donation camps. This means private hospitals cannot organise their own camps.

* About 95 per cent of the demand is met through replacement donors, who donate when a patient needs blood. This means unless accident victims and critically ill patients have relatives who can donate blood they are at the mercy of donors.

* A group of people have networked through the internet to combat this crisis. They have posted their names, blood groups and contact details on Orkut, so that people in need of blood can contact them. People must use this powerful medium more.