Mumbai, Jun 10 (TOI): The shortage of blood in the city has prompted the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) to ask all governmental and civic blood banks to hold donation drives at railways stations and corporate houses.


However, activists say the SBTC's letter dated June 7 has come a bit late. "Summer shortage of blood is an annual affair as college students who form the majority of donors are away on vacation. Ideally, we should prepare from January onwards for this shortage," said an official attached to a blood bank. Vinay Shetty of Think Foundation, an NGO working for thalassemia patients, said, "When SBTC puts out such an appeal, it means we have a terrible shortage. However, its appeal will hopefully help use tide over June and July,'' he said. Phone calls to his NGO for blood have increased since April 15, he added.


Mumbai needs at least 1,000 donors daily. A donation drive organized at eight stations, including CST and Churchgate on June 7 managed to collect 741 units of blood. "We expected more, but we will organize more drives and hopefully Mumbaikars will respond," said SBTC's Dr Arun Thorat. "We have asked our blood banks to organize camps regularly over the next few weeks. Even corporate houses will help us," he added.


Shetty added that many NGOs like Friends Circle have organized mega blood donation drives to around the World Blood Donor Day, which is observed on June 14 every year. "The blood situation should improve soon," he added.


A senior doctor pointed out that drives at railway stations should have been done before rains. "We need to maintain a clean environment and railway stations get messy during rains. Organizers will have to take extra care about hygiene and cleanliness," he added.