‘India needs better network to avoid blood wastage’: Experts

Hyderabad: COVID-19 pandemic exposed blood shortage across many Indian states, and this situation arose despite many good Samaritans repeatedly stepping forward to donate their blood.
On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, the health professionals underscored the need to highlight the shortcomings and improve the infrastructure and network of blood banks across India.
Also Read AP: 500 students participate in mega blood donation camp According to some reports, India needs 15 million units of blood each year but manages to collect only 11 million units, a deficit of 4 million units. It is also estimated that nearly 12,000 individuals die in India each day, due to non-availability of quality blood. While this is one side of the coin, the other side indicates that India wastes about 6.5 lakh units of blood and blood components each year, due to lack of proper storage facilities.
Many doctors are raising their voices on the urgent need to address this major concern in the society.
Women suffering from bleeding during pregnancy or at childbirth, women and children suffering from anemia due to malnutrition, victims of trauma, etc., all need blood or/and blood-related products like plasma or platelets.
“Each day India needs large quantities of blood to treat many patients undergoing surgery or getting treatment for various forms of cancers. While there is a shortage of quality blood in the country, large quantities of it gets wasted when it cannot be transfused to a patient, within the right time, and in the right means. Key factors leading to donated blood wastage lack of proper storage facilities, leakages, contamination, testing delays due to manpower issues etc. All these problems can be addressed and must be resolved to ensure we emerge into a healthy India,” said Dr. Pradeep Panigrahi, Medical Director, SLG Hospitals.