According to Umesh Thapa, the chairman of Nepal Red Cross Society Sunsari district chapter, shortage was unavoidable as no blood donation was organized during the festival.[break]
"Not only here, blood banks in Biratnagar, Lahan, Damak and Bhadrapur also are facing acute blood shortage for the past one week," said Thapa. "This situation can turn critical if not addressed seriously," he added.
Patients who come from far-flung areas for treatment are the most affected because local patients have higher chances of receiving blood through their near and dear ones, informed Thapa.
According to doctors at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, due to lack of required blood supply they have been compelled to postpone several surgeries.
"We recommend surgery when it is unaviodable but now due to blood shortage we are compelled to postpone surgeries," said Dr Rakesh Gupta Surgeon at BPKIHS.
The Sunsari district chapter of Nepal Red Cross Society said currently they are completely out of B positive and AB positive blood and only have around 50 pints of O positive blood in store. "Had the patients not managed blood through their family members and friends, even this stock would have finished two days ago," said Subash Chandra Singh, the in-charge of Nepal Red Cross Society, Sunsari.
Singh said doctors in BPKIHS, Dharan have to perform at least 100 surgeries cases in a day and extra blood is required in around 40 cases. Demand for blood is usually high at BPKIHS becuase apart from Nepali patients, people from India also come in large numbers for treatment.
According to Red Cross Society Sunsari, they required around 12000 pint of blood per year. It said 1,40,000 pints of blood is collected all over Nepal in a year.
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