Demand for platelets shoots up in Faridabad

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 16

Owing to a sharp rise in the number of dengue patients, the demand of blood platelets has gone up. The growing gap in demand and supply of platelets has put a strain on the availability of donors and infrastructure, including ICU beds. The total number of cases in the district reached 161, which is the highest in the past four years.

“The demand of blood platelets has risen up to 200 units daily in the city, majority of the NGOs are finding it hard to find adequate number of donors,” says Umesh Arora, who is working with Mahavir International, an NGO.

Around 250 platelets had been donated in the past 15 days, and several volunteers had donated up to three times to meet the demand, he said.

Sushant from the Faridabad Donors’ Club said some of the volunteers had been working overtime, attending calls regarding demand of platelets. Shortage of kits or platelet separator machines in some of the hospitals has added to the crisis.

Many patients, who have been admitted to the hospitals, are suffering from platelet loss, though they have not tested positive for dengue, said sources in the Health Department.

Dr Ram Bhagat, Deputy CMO and in charge of malaria department, said anti-larval activities and fogging were being carried out, and 40 teams had been pressed into the service. As many as 4,100 notices had been issued on detection of mosquito larvae.