KATHMANDU: Chitwan district is facing a severe shortage of blood, prompting the Nepal Red Cross Society, Chitwan chapter, to issue an appeal for blood donation programs.
In a statement issued by chapter chairperson Hari Prasad Poudel, the Red Cross urged the public to donate blood, noting that hospitals in the district are struggling to treat patients due to the shortage. The appeal states that the lack of blood donation programs following the elections has contributed to the crisis. Currently, the district requires around 150 units of blood daily.
Due to the limited number of donation drives, supply has failed to meet demand. At the Provincial Blood Transfusion Center in Bharatpur and units operating in major hospitals, patients’ relatives have been stepping in to donate blood. However, treatment for patients arriving from outside the district has begun to suffer due to the shortage.
According to Ramesh Kanta Poudel, chief of the center, efforts are being made to meet demand through the support of patients’ families and volunteer donors, as blood supplies remain critically low.
He added that hospitals performing surgeries—including the two major medical colleges in the district, Bharatpur Hospital, and the Cancer Hospital—are facing difficulties in arranging blood even in emergencies. Cancer patients, in particular, require large quantities of blood.
Blood is also essential for surgeries involving postpartum mothers and accident victims. The center chief emphasized that the shortage has worsened due to the lack of blood donation programs.
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