Dadeldhura, March 28

A week ago, when two women of Baitadi and Dadeldhura visited district headquarters Baghkhor-based far-western Sub-regional Hospital seeking parturition services in Dadeldhura, the doctors involved in their treatment donated their blood to save the lives of the mothers and their babies for want of better options.

Doctors duo Rajesh Bahun and Bibek Devkota donated their blood after the women’s caesarean surgery.

Hundreds of patients in Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Bajhang, Darchula, Bajura and Achham, among other districts of the region, have been facing a hard time for want of blood bank in those districts.

When in need of blood, the patients’ kin have to either approach health workers or security personnel.

Though a blood bank was established at Nepal Red Cross Society, Dadeldhura chapter, with the financial assistance of the Government of India two years ago, it is yet to be properly managed. It has not been able to supply blood to the needy during emergencies.

“We have no option but to seek blood from health workers,” said acting medical director of Nepal Red Cross Society.

Ganesh Eir, of Blood Circulation Centre, said they had failed to extend effective services due to lack of necessary equipment and skilled manpower.

Dharanidhar Panta, chief of regional Blood Bank Kailali, said not a single district in the region had a blood bank except Dadeldhura. However, the blood bank in Dadeldhura has inadequate infrastructure and has failed to provide any service.

“Due to the lack of blood bank, Safe Motherhood Programme run by the Government of Nepal in those districts has been adversely affected,” said Panta.

Darchula District Hospital Management Committee Chairperson Nagendra Tinkari said parturition services were badly affected due to the blood crunch. “Availability of blood is a must for pregnant women having caesarian surgery.

We have no option but to refer those patients to Kailali and Kanchanpur due to blood crunch in the hospitals based in the district headquarters,” said Tinkari.

Ram Prasad Ojha, planning officer at far-western regional Health Directorate Dipayal, said the blood bank established in Achham a year ago had not started services yet, as a result of which, a large number of pregnant women were dying untimely due to blood crisis every year.