Mumbai, Feb 26: The blood bank at V. N. Desai Municipal General Hospital in Santacruz (East), Mumbai, has remained non-functional despite renovation work reportedly being completed.
The facility was shut down in early June 2025 to facilitate structural repairs and renovation work on the second floor of the hospital building. Since then, it has stopped collecting blood, and there is still no clarity on when it will resume operations.
According to hospital sources, the renovation of the blood bank has already been completed. However, it has not yet been made operational, leaving patients and medical staff in a difficult position.
Impact on patient care
V. N. Desai Hospital is a vital civic-run healthcare facility serving thousands of low-income residents in Mumbai’s western suburbs. The continued closure of its blood bank has created a serious crisis affecting patient care, especially in emergency and surgical cases.
Major surgeries often require 3–4 units of blood. During operations, there is no time to arrange blood from external sources. In cases of excessive bleeding, the absence of an in-house blood bank poses a direct risk to patients’ lives. The hospital runs a DNB programme and is expected to handle complicated and high-risk surgeries, which become extremely challenging without immediate access to blood.
There have also been cases of extreme bleeding during deliveries, where patients’ lives were saved by transfusing 5–6 units of blood consecutively. In such critical moments, immediate availability of blood is crucial.
A key facility since 1993
The blood bank had been functional since 1993, with an annual collection of around 2,000 units and equivalent utilisation. It played a crucial role during periods of acute blood shortage, particularly in May–June and October–November.
At times, it even supported other major civic hospitals, including King Edward Memorial Hospital, Nair Hospital, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sir J. J. Hospital, Cama and Albless Hospital, and G. T. Hospital.
The nearby Bhabha Hospital blood bank in Bandra is reportedly non-functional at night, and blood collection there has reportedly dropped due to shortages. In such circumstances, the V. N. Desai blood bank acted as a lifeline even for patients from Bandra. Several nearby BMC maternity homes also depended on it.
Despite the completion of renovation work, the blood bank remains closed, severely impacting emergency care and surgical services. Its prolonged non-functionality raises serious concerns about patient safety and the hospital’s ability to provide timely, life-saving treatment.
Also Watch:
Despite repeated attempts to obtain the hospital administration’s response, Dr Mayura Ingle, Medical Superintendent of V. N. Desai Municipal General Hospital, was unavailable for comment.
She did not respond to phone calls or text messages seeking clarification on the status of the blood bank and the reasons for the continued delay in restarting its services.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
