In view of the acute shortage of blood in the blood banks of the State, the Uttarakhand State AIDS Control Society (USACS) and State Blood Transfusion Council have made an appeal for healthy people to come forward for donation.
The director of State blood transfusion council, Dr Arjun Singh Senger said that due to the lockdown enforced to prevent the infection of COVID-19 from spreading further, the blood donation camps are not being organised which has resulted in shortfall in the supply of blood in the state. He said that problems are being faced in transfusing blood in the patients of Thalassaemia and haemophilia.
These patients are needed to be administered blood at regular intervals to save their lives. “I appeal to people of 18- 65 age group to make small groups of two to four and donate blood at the nearest blood bank. This measure would help in maintaining availability of blood and saving lives,’’ he said.
Dr Senger said that interested persons can contact the deputy director of Council, Pradip Hatwal on phone number 8630396221 for any help and guidance.
Due to the lockdown, the daily collection of blood has reduced to more than half in all blood banks of the state.
The Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) hospital authorities have already issued an appeal to the people to come forward for voluntary donations. It has released phone numbers 0135-2719809 and 7818828263 to assist those who want to donate blood.