The machine -- which was handed over by the Central Blood Transfusion Center (CBTC), also known as the blood bank, to its eastern regional office -- has been lying defunct for the last 10 months. The blood bank has not had the machine repaired, forcing relatives of patients who need platelets to go to Kathmandu.[break]
People who suffer from excessive bleeding, cancer and burns need platelets. A healthy person´s blood contains 150,000-300,000 platelets per cubic mm and these help to clot the blood. If a person lacking adequate platelets starts bleeding, he will bleed to death.
The blood component machine purchased for Rs 350,000 broke down during abrupt load-shedding. "We have asked Nepal Red Cross Society several times to repair the machine," said Bijaya Khatiwada, a staffer at the blood bank. "However, our requests have fallen on deaf ears even as local patients requiring platelets are at great risk of losing their lives."
Prakash Niraula, a resident of Biratnagar-13 suffering from leukemia, was in dire need of platelets. He could not find any in Biratnagar and eventually chartered a helicopter to the capital two weeks ago at a cost of Rs 180,000 to get the platelets. "We did not find platelets in any of the hospitals in Biratnagar and Dharan," Prakash´s brother-in-law Manoj Pokhrel, said. "We had to spend a great amount for something we could have easily found locally had the Red Cross Society repaired the machine."
The blood bank has installed blood component machines outside the capital only in Biratnagar, Dharan, Chitwan, Nepalgunj and Pokhara. However, the machine in Dharan has also gone out of operation. Asked about the delay in repairing the machines, Manoj Upadhyay, president of Red Cross Society Morang, refused to comment.
"Ask the blood bank," he retorted.
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