Bengaluru Faces Critical Shortage as Blood Donations Halve Post-Pandemic
In a concerning development for public health, Bengaluru has witnessed a sharp decline of at least 50% in voluntary blood donations over the past few years following the Covid-19 pandemic. This drastic drop is attributed to a combination of work-from-home arrangements, shifting lifestyles, and emerging health concerns, which have severely disrupted traditional donation channels in a city where demand for blood remains consistently high.
Work-from-Home and Corporate Shifts Cripple Donation Drives
Explaining the trend, Deepak Suman, camp coordinator at Lions Blood Centre, Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital, highlighted that corporate offices and colleges—long the backbone of donation efforts—are no longer yielding the same response. "Colleges and IT companies are our backbone when it comes to blood donations. Due to work-from-home routines now, we hardly see people coming to the office and donating. In the same companies where we used to get 250-300 units before, we only get 20-30 units now. HR representatives insist on organising the camps for two days, but even then, the collections are few and far between," he said.
Student Hesitation and Health Barriers Amplify the Crisis
On college campuses, organisers report that while students are willing to volunteer for donation drives, they often hesitate to donate blood themselves. Dr Girish CJ, nodal officer at Narayana Hrudayalaya blood bank, noted, "Most students now go to the gym and are very focused on being fit. They think that if they donate blood, they will either lose weight or cannot go to the gym for a long time. Some change their minds when we explain that it does not have any impact on their weight and they only need a day or two's rest; others still hesitate."
Health factors are also increasingly limiting donor eligibility, particularly among younger populations. Dr Girish added, "After Covid, hypertension has increased in younger people, and it affects their eligibility to donate. In women, almost one in two is below the prescribed haemoglobin range, and thus we cannot take blood from them too."
Persistent Mismatch and Rising Demand Strain Supply
Experts emphasize that even under normal circumstances, densely populated regions like Bengaluru face a persistent mismatch between blood supply and demand. The current dip in donors could further strain availability, especially as medical advancements increase the need for a steady supply. Dr Anbarasan T, junior consultant in the department of transfusion medicine at Gleneagles BGS Hospital, Kengeri, stated, "In an Indian context, the demand for blood will always outrun supply, especially with all the medical innovations now that require a steady supply of blood. The need for blood is always on the rise. We need more push from the government and general awareness among people to ensure good supply."
Scams Exploit Desperation Amid Shortages
Amid the shortage, organisers have flagged a growing scam targeting families in urgent need of blood. Alphonse Kurian Kamicheri, chairperson of the blood donation committee at Lion's Club of Bangalore, Sanjaynagar, explained, "One of the reasons we don't get blood in time is traffic as Bengaluru is a big city. These days, some people respond to our calls for blood and say they will come and even bring two other people with them. They ask the recipient's family to give them money for fuel. In desperation, the family gives them money, and then the scamsters become unresponsive." He urged families not to make payments for voluntary donations and stressed that better blood availability could help curb such frauds.
The situation calls for urgent action from authorities and increased public awareness to bridge the gap and ensure a reliable blood supply for Bengaluru's healthcare needs.
