Bajura, May 13

Health workers in Bajura have been donating their blood to save patients’ lives as the district is reeling under acute shortage of blood.

Though there are two emergency blood transfusion centres in Bajura, the district does not have a single blood blank. Dr Durga Maharjan at Bajura District Health Office said, “Very few people in the district donate blood, so the transfusion centres are usually facing blood crunch. Even if we find someone ready to donate blood in time of emergency, finding the right blood group is a serious challenge.”

Last week, a health worker at the DHO had to donate his blood to save a woman’s life. Sarada Kadara of Budhinanda Municipality-7, Pandusen was brought to the DHO for child delivery. However, when the patient needed blood after her Cesarean surgery, the woman’s family couldn’t find blood.

Chief of the DHO Dr Rupchandra BK said, “Finally after four hours of desperate search, a health worker at the hospital decided to donate blood to save the woman’s life although we couldn’t save her child.”

Even the patients' kin are uncooperative when it comes to donating blood

In another case, Nira Rokaya, 18, of Gaumul Rural Municipality-6 was admitted to the DHO and diagnosed with anemia a few days ago. Doctors said she was in immediate need of blood transfusion. However, after her kin couldn’t find the right group of blood, employees at the health office eventually decided to donate their blood. OT In-charge at the DHO Rajesh Barma, on the other hand, highlighted the lack of awareness among the locals about blood donation. “Even the patients’ kin are uncooperative when it comes to donating blood given the lack of awareness, which has further complicated the situation,” he explained.

The locals have demanded a blood bank to be set up in the district. Though the then District Development Committee last year had provided Rs 1.5 million to the District Red Cross Society to set up a blood bank, nothing has been done to that effect so far.

Red Cross Society Bajura, however, said it was planning to set up a blood bank in the district very soon.