Srinagar May 19:(KNS) The blood banks across Jammu and Kashmir are facing severe shorting of blood in view of Covid19.
The kashmir news service (KNS) has learned from highly credible sources that amid covid there is a severe shortage of blood in the blood banks set up at various places in Jammu and Kashmir.
In view of covid, no blood donation campaign is being run and no blood donors are coming forward due to the pandemic; it could lead to a crisis in the coming days.
Official sources told KNS that there are about 3 dozen blood banks in Jammu and Kashmir, including government, private, military and charitable blood banks.
Sources said that 16 of these blood banks are in the Jammu division while 19 blood banks are operating in Kashmir but according to medical experts, after the second wave of Covid 19, there is a severe shortage of blood in the blood banks.
If this is not taken seriously, an emergency situation may arise in the whole of Jammu and Kashmir in the near future, says a health expert.
Sources say that some other people with various diseases, including patients with haemoglobin deficiency, need blood transfusions on a regular basis and these patients need regular blood transfusions on an emergency basis while suffering from pain. Blood transfusions are very much needed by pregnant women as well as blood cancer patients and people injured in accidents.
However, medical experts acknowledged that as the demand of blood increases in Jammu and Kashmir, the blood banks are facing a shortage, since no donors are donating.
However, the restrictions on the movement of people during the second wave of covid-19 is also causing trouble to donors, he said.
People who need blood are being asked to arrange their own blood transfusions. The other health expert told Kashmir news service (KNS), blood donation, which is actually the main source of blood for blood banks, is not taking place, due to which blood banks are running of shortage of blood, he added.
Sources said that apart from Government Medical College Jammu, Srinagar and SKIMS Medical Institute, blood banks at district headquarters still have some bloodstock for patients who are injured in accidents and but district hospitals most of the small blood banks have been lying empty for the last several weeks.
Sources added that if the situation persists for some time, it could lead to problems.
Medical experts say that because of the fear of Covid 19, healthy people are afraid to go to the blood bank and donate blood. Although under the guidelines laid down by the government, anyone can donate blood after completing 28 days of vaccination with COVD-19, but people are still not coming forward for blood donation.
Doctors informed KNS that it was no less than a great relief that in view of Covid-19, the government have already suspended certain surgeries in public and private hospitals, otherwise it could have been a source of great concern for them as no institution or trust is coming forward to hold a blood donation camp due to the ongoing Quid-19 crisis. Medical experts have appealed to all stakeholders, including civil society and other voluntary organizations, to come forward to donate blood, while urging government officials to set up blood banks before any crisis arises. (KNS)