Blood donors flock to hospitals

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 20

Immediately after the mishap, the virtual world got inundated with messages urging people to visit hospitals for blood donation. Residents, wasting no time, thronged the Civil Hospital and the Government Medical College (GMC) not only to donate blood, but also extend help to patients and their relatives.

The huge rush forced the authorities concerned to issue an appeal to the people not to flock to the hospitals as they had enough in the blood banks.

Dr Neeraj Sharma, in-charge of the blood bank at the GMC, said people from Fazilka, Ludhiana, Moga and Jalandhar turned up to donate blood. “We had organised camps last week, so have enough in stock. We turned down requests from 500 people,” she said. Dr Neeraj said they asked donors to drop their contact details and assured them that they would be contacted in case of need.

“We collected 160 units of blood today and around 60 units last night. Most of the donors were from other cities, who were adamant that they would not leave without donating. They said that they might not be able to come again and so wanted to donate blood,” she said.

The residents also visited in large numbers the blood bank of the Civil hospital. Civil Surgeon Dr Hardeep Singh Ghai said, “We request the residents to be patient. We have enough blood of all groups and there is no need to worry. The way people turned up at hospitals is very moving.

“Everyone has tried to be of help. Be it serving tea and meals or consoling the bereaved family members, everyone was at hospitals,” said Dr Ghai, adding that people have been contacting hospitals to know if they can be of any help.