Bajura, May 10

Expecting and new mothers in Bajura have been suffering due to blood crunch in the district of late.

Dirgha Chadara, 30, of Aantichaur VDC, was referred to District Hospital, Martadi from Aantichaur Health Post after excessive blood loss caused her condition to deteriorate during labour on Sunday.

She was in dire need of nine pints of A positive blood, but could not get the blood because there are no blood banks in Bajura.

Dr Rajan Neupane, a gynaecologist at the district hospital, said Chadara’s relatives searched for blood all night, but in vain. “Later, a hospital staff offered one pint of blood, and Nepal Police and Nepali Army personnel also donated blood for her treatment,” he informed.

Dr Neupane added that even DSP Dal Bahadur Bogati of District Police Office, Bajura donated blood to Chadara. “We wouldn’t have been able to save Chadara if it wasn’t for the concerted efforts of the police, army, and our own staff,” he said.

Doctors say Chadara’s condition is now stable.

Similarly, Bashanti Bista, 22 of Jagannath VDC and Sharada BK, 34, of Badimalika Municipality struggled at the hospital for two days in labour pain and suffered blood loss.

Senior Assistant Health Worker Tek Bahadur Khadka of the hospital said Dr Neupane along with hospital staffers, army personnel and police personnel donated blood to the women and saved their lives.

These are just a few cases of a situation that health professionals confront regularly in the district.

Acting Chief Dr Mohan Nath, of District Health Office, said that the hospital deals with dozens of such cases every month. “New mothers and other patients have been suffering from blood shortage mostly due to lack of blood bank in the district,” he informed.

Dr Neupane said the hospital could not provide emergency parturition service due to blood shortage. He added that patients’ relatives have no option but to reach out to various government offices, the Nepali Army, and police personnel for help.

Although there are no blood banks in Bajura, blood transmission centres were established at the District Health Office and Tate Health Post.

However, locals are still reluctant to donate blood in the centre.