Hyderabad: The COVID-19 pandemic has directly or indirectly affected a lot of support systems which contributed to the effective delivery of healthcare mechanisms all over. One such area is the blood donations camps which would be conducted by various industries, voluntary organizations, institutions from time to time for replenishing the stocks of the blood banks.
Ever since the lockdown, this activity has been reduced keeping in mind the social distancing and health advisory issued by the Government of India. The lockdown has been in place to protect the interests of the people and therefore a middle path needed to be adopted to fulfil both the requirements.
Dr Suman Jain gave us some interesting insights into this issue saying how we could donate blood during the lockdown.
Blood bank comes to your colony:
Instead of donors going to the blood bank, blood donation camps can be organized within the premises of a gated community so that donors need not travel outside.
Housing societies have already started with this initiative and small size donation camps are being held within the premises of their buildings. Getting 15-20 donors in such residential complexes is very easy. The Army Welfare Housing Colony has also expressed willingness for such an activity. A donation camp usually requires at least 50 donors but considering the present-day situation, even a small camp of about 20 donors can be conducted.
Patients suffering from a blood disorder called Thalassemia and similar blood disorders require repeated blood transfusions to increase their life expectancy and therefore the blood banks catering to these patients on a regular basis need to replenish their stocks of blood at all times.
Dr Suman Jain stated that one can safely donate blood while adhering to all the safe distancing measures and hygiene and sanitation methods keeping the COVID -19 guidelines in mind.
Additional Details of donor during COVID - 19
History of the donor like medication for fever, cold, cough, if found to be positive, the donor is deferred.
Apart from the regular history of the donor taken before the transfusion, additional information is sought about local/ international travel, any visitors/guests from any other place to their house, attendance at any social /community/ religious gathering where a large number of people have come together for the last one month/ any exposure to any vulnerable spot etc.
Patients requested to approach donors to ensure timely transfusions
For the first time, the blood bank has to request the Thalassemia patients to appeal to donors and their request would be honoured better and it’s a perturbing situation but the blood bank has to resort to this, to ensure timely blood transfusion.
Interested donors are being verified by taking their Aadhar card details and are sent a proforma filled in by the blood bank officials which they can receive as a WhatsApp message stating the date and time of donation and the place of donation.The same can be shown to the cops to allow travel to the blood bank. The message is valid only for 4 to 5 hours. After the donation, the donor is given a card which ensues a hassle-free travel back home.
Thalassemia patients have a card which allows them accessibility to the blood bank and Telangana government has assured the blood banks of support at all levels in providing uninterrupted services to thalassemia.
How do donors reach the blood bank during the lockdown?
The blood bank also makes it possible to pick up the donor from a predetermined area, get them to the centre to donate and drop them back in view of the difficulties in transport
Dr Jain mentioned of an initiative taken up in Mumbai wherein a mobile app which tells you the location of your nearest blood bank and the time at which one can predecide the time of donation, thus cutting down waiting time and exposure.
Also, read:Kerala not completely relieved as COVID-19 cases spike in neighbourhood
