Blood banks drop in collection with second wave of COVID-19

Demand for blood has also dipped as hospitals are postponing elective surgeries

The second wave of COVID-19, followed by lockdown restrictions, has severely affected blood donation drives in the recent months. At the same time, however, demand for blood has also dropped as hospitals are postponing elective surgeries. Chairman of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Karnataka State Branch S. Naganna told The Hindu that before the pandemic, the IRCS used to collect 3,500 blood units per month. Over the past few months with the steep rise in cases, this has dropped to 500-600 units. He pointed out that while elective surgeries can be postponed, there is still a need to provide blood to patients with Thalassemia or cancer, road accident victims, those on dialysis, and other emergency procedures.