Munger: The Munger blood bank, the only one in the district at the Sadar hospital in the district headquarters, is proving a life-saver for hundreds of serious patients.

But availability of blood of different groups at government health centres and hospitals in rural parts of the district is still a dream. Serious patients have no other option than to depend on their fate to survive in absence of blood in rural parts of the district when even one unit of blood could save a life.

"As voluntary blood donation is not gaining popularity in the district, collection of blood of different groups is a very difficult task for the staff of the Munger blood bank though the medical officer-cum-in-charge of the blood bank, is doing his best to increase the collection of voluntary blood donation," civil surgeon Dr Srinath told The Telegraph on Wednesday.

"The Munger blood bank having a storage capacity of 300 units of blood, established in 2003 and managed by the Bihar State AIDS Control Society, Patna, now meets the demand of blood of different groups in the district these days. It supplies around 200 units of blood to needy and serious patients," Dr Md Faizuddin, medical officer-cum-in-charge, Munger blood bank, said.

"In the financial year 2017-18, the blood bank collected 2,252 units of blood of different groups in which 1,222 units were collected from voluntary donors, 712 units from replacement donors and 318 units from persons in camps," Dr Faizuddin said.

"The blood bank has an official register of voluntary blood donors in the office. In emergency, we call up those donors and ask them to provide blood. In this way, we have saved many lives of serious patients.

On May 5, 2018, the blood bank supplied 1 unit of blood of A- group to a pregnant woman Priti Kumari (32), wife of Pappu Kumar, a resident of Kalyan Tola in Bariarpur of this district. She underwent a Caesarean section and immediately needed A- group, a rare blood group. But we succeeded in collecting that blood and met her demand," Dr Faizuddin said.

"The sub-divisional hospital, rural primary health centres and 14 delivery centres in the district don't have blood banks at present," Dr Shrinath added.

"To meet the demand of blood in the state, the state government should come up with an act making mandatory for all government employees, including policemen and teachers and college teachers, to donate their blood once a year. Voluntary blood donation scheme is now not giving fruitful results these days," said Manish Kumar Singh (23), a resident of Phulbariya village under Shahkund block in Bhagalpur, at the Munger Sadar hospital on Wednesday.

He was at Munger blood bank to donate his blood voluntarily. Manish is undergoing apprenticeship at Jamalpur Railway Workshop. Rupesh Kumar (25) and Avinash Kumar (22), both undergoing apprenticeship at Jamalpur Railway Workshop also donated blood voluntarily at the Munger Blood Bank on Wednesday.