Chitwan, June 11

With the rising mercury, the number of seasonal patients has risen sharply in health facilities of Chitwan, resulting in blood crunch in the district of late.

“College students are the key blood donors, but they are either preparing for their board examinations or are having summer vacation, thus creating a massive crisis in blood collection,” said sources.

Regional Blood Transfusion Centre Bharatpur Chief, Ramesh Kanta Poudel said there is the demand of over 100 units of blood in the district on a daily basis. The district houses BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Chitwan Medical College and Bharatpur Medical College among more than two dozen private hospitals. Cancer patients, post-operative patients, patients injured in accidents, patients suffering from anaemia, and dengue, among others, need blood very badly.

More than 300 government and non-governmental organisations conduct blood donation programmes during the year in the district.

Youth for Blood, various volunteer organisations and kin of patients collect blood in the district. “Though we have been organising blood donation programmes in coordination with  neighbouring districts Nawalparasi, Gorkha, Lamjung, Tanahun, Makawanpur, Parsa, Bara and Rautahat, among other districts, we don’t have sufficient blood due to few donors in contrast to the rising number of patients this time around.”