BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh): State government is opening blood storage units at Primary Health Centre (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) to address blood demands in remote areas in the state.
This was informed at state level collaborative conference on, Thalassemia and Blood Donation: Concerns and Solutions, held here on Sunday.
Health department deputy director (blood and lab service) Dr Ruby Khan said 126 blood storage units have been sanctioned at block level. 'But for this, a proposal has to be sent by local agencies. Opening of blood storage units depends on certain parametres. For example, there should be 100 child deliveries etc,' she added.
Currently, 64 out of 126 sanctioned units are functional in the state. It is best option to handle blood need instead of opening blood bank.
To open blood bank, central government issues licence and it requires costly machines. But blood storage units can be sanctioned at state level for which no licence is needed. Machines cost Rs 2 lakh - Rs 3 lakh.
Deputy director, health services, (social protection and mainstreaming section) Sunila Sharma Raja said, 'As part of Corporate Social Responsibility, people should come forward. We have to motivate people for blood donation. NGOs should find out people suffering with thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia. We are doing our level best in this direction. NGOs working in this field are supposed to play key role.'
The NGOs shared problems with officials in the conference about blood donation, demand for blood for thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia patients and pregnant women.
