GUWAHATI, June 26 - While altogether 2,16,259 people donated blood in various hospitals, blood banks and blood donation camps that were held across Assam during the 2018-19 financial year, quite a large number of these donors were found afflicted with various diseases.
Sources in the State health department informed that among the blood donors, around 302 were detected as HIV positive cases, around 519 were detected as Hepatitis C positive cases, around 1,146 as Hepatitis B positive cases, around 865 as Syphilis positive cases and around 108 were detected as malaria-affected cases.
�In the last financial year, around four samples of donated blood among one thousand donors were found defective. We have already contacted with every donor of defective blood and informed him or her about the disease detected in their blood. In case of HIV, we started providing free healthcare to them,� the sources said.
Even though the rate of blood donation has been increasing in the State every year, lack of adequate number of blood banks in comparison to the increasing number of hospitals has posed the threat of a health-related disaster in coming days.
As per information available with the State health department, at present Assam has altogether 258 private hospitals and 25 district hospitals along with 13 sub-divisional hospitals along with six medical colleges. Among those hospitals, only 75 have blood bank facilities.
According to the department, Kamrup (Metro) district has altogether 50 private hospitals and three government hospitals. But among them only 19 have blood bank facilities.
Kamrup district has eight private hospitals and one district hospital. But only two among them have blood bank facilities. Dibrugarh district has 35 private hospitals and one medical college. Only six among those hospitals have blood bank facilities.
Dhubri district has two private hospitals and one district hospital. But only one has blood bank facilities.
Goalpara district has six private hospitals and one district hospital. Blood bank facilities are available in only two of those hospitals.
Barpeta district has three private hospitals and one district hospital. Blood bank facility is available in only the FAA Medical College Hospital.
Golaghat district has five private hospitals and one district hospital, with only two having blood bank facilities.
Nagaon district has altogether 15 private hospitals and one district hospital. But only three blood banks are available.
Sivasagar district has eight private hospitals and one district hospital. Three among them have blood bank facilities.
North Lakhimpur district has 12 private hospitals and one district hospital. But blood bank facilities are offered only by the North Lakhimpur Civil Hospital.
Tinsukia district has 19 private hospitals and one district hospital. But the district has only six blood banks.
Jorhat district has 18 private hospitals and one medical college. But this district has only three blood banks.
Sonitpur district has altogether 16 private hospitals and one district hospital and against them only three have blood bank facilities.
Cachar district has altogether 26 private hospitals and one district hospital along with one medical college. But the district has only four blood banks.
Nalbari district has nine private hospitals and one district hospital and among them only two have blood bank facilities.
Darrang district has two private hospitals and one district hospital. But the district has only one blood bank.
Dhemaji district has four private hospitals and one district hospital. But only the district hospital has blood bank facilities. Karimganj district has five private hospitals and one district hospital. But only the district hospital has blood bank facility.
Hailakandi district has three private hospitals and one district hospital. But a blood bank is available only in the district hospital. Morigaon district has three private hospitals and one district hospital, with only the district hospital offering blood bank facilities.
�Blood bank is available in every district hospital and medical college of the State. But most of the private hospitals are running without the facility. So, in case of surgery and pregnant women the risk factor is very high,� an official of the health department said.
