‘Mumbai is facing severe blood shortage’:founder of Think Foundation

With most people out on summer vacation, the city is facing a shortage of blood, experts have claimed.

At least 25,000 donors are needed every month to meet the city’s blood requirement.

Vinay Shetty, founder of Think Foundation, which organises blood camps in the city, has termed it a “crisis”. “Many patients and their relatives called us through the month of April, saying even the blood banks don’t have blood. While the city faces shortage every year during summer and Diwali, the situation is serious this year,” he said.

An official at JJ Hospital’s blood bank said none of the negative blood types were available at the hospital. “We have been facing shortage for the past three weeks,” the official said.

Dr Mamta Manglani, who heads a facility, MCGM- Comprehensive Thalassemia Care, Paediatric Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transfusion Centre, Borivli, said many thalassemia patients are facing trouble.

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder caused when the body doesn’t make enough of a protein called haemoglobin, an important part of red blood cells. As a result, all cells get inadequate oxygen, which causes people to feel tired, weak or short of breath. These patients need blood transfusion every fortnight.

“We are prioritising patients based on their haemoglobin levels. We are transfusing blood for patients who have haemoglobin levels less than 8 gram per decilitre (dl). The national guidelines, however, say that haemoglobin levels of thalassemia patients should be maintained at 9 gram per dl,” Dr Manglani said.

“We need many more blood camps to meet the need,” said Shetty. Dr Arun Thorat, who heads the State Blood Transfusion Council, said there is a shortage during summer every year. “We conducted a meeting with the voluntary blood donation committee in March, asking them to conduct more camps.”