Blood crunch affects surgery, dialysis

Pokhara, August 27

Following the continuous prohibitory order, acute blood shortage has badly affected patients in Pokhara, especially patients from different districts of Gandaki Province, who have reached Pokhara for treatment.

Regional Blood Transfusion Centre, Pokhara, Chief Arjun Gyawali said patients with chronic diseases were facing problems due to shortage of blood. He said they were reaching people’s doorsteps to collect blood after surgery and dialysis services were halted due to shortage.

Gyawali informed it was difficult to find blood donors of AB Positive and A Positive groups. Kidney patients could not receive regular dialysis due to lack of blood and snakebite patients needed 20 units blood per person, Gyawali said.

Gyawali added the blood crunch got severe after people were afraid to donate blood due to the pandemic and as there were less blood donation programmes. “It is quite impossible to bring blood from any other place in the country,” he said.

Gyawali urged all to donate blood.

Lions Club of Pokhara started a week-long blood donation programme in the lake city from Monday to make up for the blood scarcity.

The club has collected 72 units blood in four days.

Chairman of the club Samyukta Dhakhwa said 25 units blood was collected in Bhadrakali chowk on the first day, 13 units at Shabhagriha Chowk on the second day, 24 units in Naya bazaar on the third day and 20 units at Nadipur today. He said a blood donation programme would be held at Batulechaur tomorrow.

Dhakhwa added the prohibitory order had also affected the collection of blood. “After the scarcity, emergency blood donation programme would be held in different places of Pokhara as needed.”

Blood Donation Department Chief at Lions International District 325 B 1 Bal Krishna Sharma said blood crunch had not only hit Pokhara, but the country as a whole due to the prohibitory order imposed. He said clubs were urged to organise blood donation programmes.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on August 28, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.