Blood donation is yet to pick up pace in major government hospitals in Kozhikode district and awareness campaigns are being planned to persuade healthy persons to donate blood.
According to senior government doctors, blood donation is yet to reach the pre-pandemic levels. Because of the COVID-19 protocol, there are restrictions on large-scale outreach camps. Both the Government Medical College Hospital and the Government Hospital for Women and Children in Kozhikode have not been holding such events these days. Instances of individuals coming on their own to donate blood are also becoming rare.
M.K. Sribiju, president of the Kerala Blood Donors Forum, said that there was some reluctance on the part of people. Though COVID-19-related doubts are preventing many from donating blood, Dr. Sribiju said that infected persons can do it if they test negative in an RT-PCR test after two weeks.
The donor should be in good health, mentally alert and physically fit. They must be in the 18-65 age group. Right after taking vaccination and inoculation, people cannot donate blood or components. Those who are taking COVID-19 vaccines should wait for two weeks. The Forum is planning awareness events in the coming days, he added.
Sources at the Government Hospital for Women and Children said that there is no bar in private individuals from donating blood to government-approved blood banks. Voluntary organisations also need to be more proactive, they said.
Another government doctor, who wished not to be quoted, claimed that some private hospitals are found to be conducting camps in violation of rules. Blood bank functionaries, however, said they were not aware of any such developments.
