05 April 2020, Kathmandu
COVID-19 is sweeping all over the world even though we don’t have many confirmed cases. It is important that we are ready to face it. It is a given that there will be a scarcity of blood due to lockdown.
Nepal Red Cross Society (NCRS) is collecting blood through mobile teams. The regular collection of blood is impossible during the lockdown. So, the center has arranged to collect blood from the mobile. With this process, they are able to reach every convenient place set by the youth clubs and other organizations.
Dr. Manita Rajkarnikar, the director of the Central Blood Transfusion Centre said, “We have arranged to collect the blood.” They informed that they did so while maintaining the social distance and avoiding the crowd.
NCRS says that the demand for blood has decreased dramatically after lockdown. The demand used to be somehow proportionate to supply. They used to collect from 200 to 300 units. After lockdown, they have been collecting 25 to 30 units a day.
NCRS is also taking precautions on blood transfusion. They ask the donor about their health history and testing the fever before taking blood.
The Director of Information and Communication Unit of NCRS, Divya Raj Poudel reported that the donors of various blood groups are informed to be ready for blood donation. He also informed us about the list of 25000 regular donors.