Blood shortage at IGMC, Shimla claims NGO

Tribune News Service

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Shimla, May 26

The Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Hospital is facing a shortage of blood. Though the hospital authorities say the shortage isn’t serious and the situation will improve in a couple of days, the Umang Foundation, an NGO, claims that the problem is acute.

“There are around 50 units left in the hospital, which has the capacity to store 1,500 units. The every day consumption at the hospital is about 35 to 40 units,” says Umang Foundation president Ajai Srivastava. “It shows how grave the situation is. People are finding it difficult to arrange blood. We will file a PIL in the High Court on the matter,” he said.

Dr Sandeep Malhotra, HoD, Immunohaematology and Blood Transfusion, said, “We had around 100 units at the blood bank this morning. In normal times, we don’t go below 150-200 units, so that way, there’s of course some shortage but there’s no crisis as such,” said Dr Malhotra. “We have a few camps over the next few days. Also, we will appeal to NGOs and donors to donate blood,” he said.

Srivastava alleged that even when the shortage was imminent, blood bank officials did not appeal for blood donation. “My father-in-law, a cancer patient, needed two units of blood. He was provided one unit and the second was to be given the next day. However, the doctor refused to give the second unit, and asked me to donate blood,” said Hari Dutt Bhardwaj, a renowned flute player of the state. “However, we were given blood after we spoke to some people,” he said.