Collector Dhananjaya Das, who retired from service today, volunteered to donate blood in Kendrapara. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, Feb. 28: The Red Cross blood bank here has been running out of blood at regular intervals. So, district collector Dhananjay Das, who retired from government service today, set an example by volunteering to donate blood.

“The district often falls short of the required blood stock. We have been knocking at the doors of non-government agencies and voluntary donors for most of the year. As I am retiring from service today, I thought it prudent to get involved in humanitarian act like donating blood,” said Das.

During his stint as collector, shortage of blood in banks has been a recurring phenomenon. “Private agencies are to be lauded for organising blood donation camps to tide over the crisis,” said Das.

Blood bank officer Debendra Sutar said: “The annual requirement of blood for transfusion in serious and critically ill cases is 3,000 units in the district headquarters hospital. But the blood bank authorities hardly manage to collect 1,200 units. The rest of the blood required is got through exchange mode. Receivers have to arrange for voluntary donors to meet the requirement,” said blood bank officer.

One of the main requirements for blood is for children struck by thalassaemia. “We have to keep adequate stocks for them. There are many thalassaemic children and most of them are in the six to 10 age group. They need blood transfusion once every month to survive. According to the central government’s directive, these children are being provided blood free of cost. There are occasions when the shortage in blood stock forces us to rush to Cuttack central blood bank for help,” said Sutar.

Sachikanta Nath, district wing chief of Ama Odisha, a voluntary agency, has been organising blood donation camps at regular intervals to meet with the emergent situation.

“In fact, our organisation tops the list in voluntary donation. We accumulate about 650 units of blood every year. That forms more than 50 per cent of the annual blood stock in the blood bank,” said Nath.

The Red Cross blood bank here is solely dependent on voluntary donations and mass donation camps organised by voluntary agencies, Nath added.