Jammu Tawi, October 9
The awareness initiatives and camps for voluntary blood donation by government hospitals and the administration have failed to make any impact on the ground. For attendants looking after their dear ones in government hospitals are struggling to arrange blood for them.
The desperation of attendants outside the blood bank of government hospitals is clearly visible with most of them coming out of the banks empty-handed due to unavailability of blood.
In Jammu, four government hospitals have blood banks. These include Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu; Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital, Shalamar Road; Government Hospital, Sarwal; and Government Hospital, Gandhi Nagar.
“My father was admitted to the SMGS Hospital a few days back and I was told to arrange two bottles of blood from the bank. I was confident that it would be available without any difficulty. But to my surprise, the officials said there was no blood available and I should approach the GMCH for it,” Swatantar, a resident of Smailpur village, said.
“Though I managed to get one bottle of blood, I was not able to get another one. There are many others like me who are facing many hardships in arranging blood for their relatives and family members,” he added.
Sources said despite holding of blood donation camps by government hospitals at regular junctures, the strength of the volunteers donating blood had witnessed a sharp decrease with every camp. They said one of the main reasons behind the decline was the meagre refreshment allowance.
A blood donor after donating blood in any government hospital is usually offered a small packaged juice/fluid which costs between Rs 10-20 only. Many NGOs which are conducting blood donation camps with the support of government hospitals are serving better refreshment to the blood donors who prefer to donate blood in such camps instead of government hospitals, the sources said.
“It is true that the refreshment being given by government hospitals to blood donors is not sufficient but this is what the hospitals are authorised to provide,” a GMC official said. He said the hospitals were trying their level best to increase the strength of blood donors by organising blood donation camps and awareness campaigns and rallies.
