Doctors had told Lalit to manage 'O' positive blood for his mother's appendicitis surgery since three days earlier. He had reached the institute's blood bank immediately, but the bank could not provide him with the blood citing shortage. The blood bank provided him with the required blood type only after three days on Wednesday.
"It was so difficult to manage blood for my mother's surgery. I could obtain it only on the third day," said Lalit.
According to the blood bank, they have not been able to replenish the blood stock due to Tarai-Madhes protests, fuel shortage created by the Indian blockade and the Dashain festival. "We are not able to organize much blood donation programs recently. Now we have only five packets of 'O' positive blood and none of other groups," informed Ram Narayan Pandit, a technician at the blood bank.
BPKIHS has seen huge surge of patients following the Tarai-Madhes movement. "Most of the child delivery cases serious cases are referred to this institute. So the demand for blood here is huge," said Pandit.
According to the institute's blood bank, around 40 to 50 packets of bloods are consumed during normal days. But in recent days, the daily demand has reached to around 100 packets. Many people here have been donating blood for their relatives' treatment in recent days.
Lions Club of Dharan on Wednesday organized an emergency blood donation campaign after learning about the severe shortage.
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