--Patients at receiving end 

: The curfew imposed in Sambalpur town after the violence and arson during the Hanuman Jayanti celebration has not only affected livelihoods of the poor people of all sections, but has adversely affected life on every front. The blood donation for example has also taken a serious beating leading to acute shortage of blood in the blood banks.
 
Due to the curfew, common people and regular donors can’t move out for donating blood. Organisations which regularly organise blood donation camps couldn't do so due to restrictions. The result being there has been an acute shortage of blood for the needy patients both in the VIMSAR, Burla and the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), Sambalpur. Hence, it is the patients who are at the receiving end. Even some are facing threats to lives in want of blood.
 
"In acute emergency cases, patients are arranging donors. But matching of blood is becoming a problem for which it is becoming difficult for exchange also since the blood banks are almost empty both in Sambalpur and Burla," informed the Blood Bank Officer of Sambalpur DHH.
 
The average requirement of blood in the DHH and the VIMSAR is 49 50 and 80-100 units per day respectively. At times it increases as per situations. But the DHH Blood Bank is almost nil now with just f ve to eight units of blood, the BBO added. Even there is no blood of some particular groups. 
 
In such a situation, there is a crying need for organising massive blood donation camps in the city and all over the district, he opined.
 
"Very soon, we will hold meetings with the District Red Cross Society to organise blood donation camps through the NGOs and all other organisations to boost up stock,” he, however, added.