On weekend, blood banks in Mumbai dry; could delay surgeries | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: Blood shortage in the city and around during Diwali holidays became more critical over the weekend, with relatives of many patients actively looking for blood. With many blood banks saying they had only a handful of blood packets, routine surgeries could be rescheduled due to scarcity of blood.
Bhandup resident Asif Shaikh called up over 20 banks on Sunday to get four units of A negative blood for his mother, Faridun, who is to undergo bypass surgery on Monday.The 57-year-old has multiple blockages and is admitted to Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Heartcare Centre, Kalwa. Asif said only 13-14 banks responded, all of which said they didn’t have blood to spare. The doctor was to inform him late Sunday about proceeding with the surgery. For now, Asif is still looking for donors.
Chinmaye Kore had a tough day finding four units of A positive platelets for his mother, Sandipa, a blood cancer patient now in ICU at KEM Hospital, Parel. “We called many banks, but haven’t yet got the units,” he said, adding they need the units on Monday. Chinmaye said he didn’t get any units from JJ Mahanagar Blood bank, the state’s biggest facility.
TOI had reported on the city’s acute blood shortage due to limited number of donation drives during Diwali festivities. On Sunday, many banks saw stocks drop to nil, except for BYL Nair Hospital. Doctors and blood bank staffers resorted to calling up one other to ask for available stocks.
Like, JJ Mahanagar Blood Bank was left with two units each of O+, B+, and A+, and one of AB+. LTMG and KEM hospitals had 10 units each in stock. Given their daily demand of 80-120 units, these hospitals faced huge shortage.
“The city, with an estimated daily need of 900-1,000 units, is grappling with a blood deficit,” said an official.
Due to the acute shortage, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, held a special donation drive on Sunday. A doctor said patients’ relatives and regular donors responded to the call.
Vinay Shetty of NGO Think Foundation emphasized that blood banks should have been better prepared in advance, considering the observed drop in blood donation camps every year during the Diwali and summer holidays.
However, an official said that the situation should improve this week as regular blood donation camps resume.