CHITWAN: The supply of blood for patients has been largely affected due to lack of regular blood donation programmes in Chitwan of late.

Ramesh Kanta Poudel, chief at Bharatpur Blood Transfusion Centre, said the centre had been hit hard due to scarcity of blood as transportation had come to a halt and the scheduled blood donation programmes had been cancelled of late.

Patients in critical condition are provided blood only after exchanging similar amount of blood with the kin of patients, said Poudel. “Some patients have been forced to postpone surgery due to lack of blood,” he said.