Hazaribag: Facing an acute shortage of blood at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) blood bank, Hazaribag district administration has rolled out a 10-day blood donation campaign. However, barely six units were collected on the opening day yesterday on Collectorate campus.Officials said the campaign aims to replenish dwindling stocks and meet the growing demand from accident victims, emergency patients, surgical cases, among others.Hazaribag, which has a population of more than 18 lakh, frequently witnesses family members of patients scrambling to arrange donors. At the same time, the number of voluntary blood donation camps in the district has declined in recent years.R Khairi, technician at SBMCH blood bank, said, “Only 30 units of blood were available on Wednesday. The district has 295 registered thalassaemia patients, with more than 20 requiring blood transfusions twice every month. The shortage of blood creates difficulties in meeting patient demand.”Despite the district having more than 200 registered social and voluntary organisations, participation in regular blood donation activities remains limited. Health workers and volunteers believe the situation can improve significantly if such organisations make blood donation camps a regular part of their annual programmes.Nirmal Jain, popularly known as the “Blood Man of Hazaribag”, said NCC and NSS units, in collaboration with educational institutions, should institutionalise a “Blood Donation Week” every year.
