Covid-19: Nadia district health dept cancels all voluntary blood donation camps from 31 May to 12 June 

BJP points fingers against Trinamul for stopping opposition from organising any blood donation camp in the district

The BJP workers said though the general demand of blood and blood products might have reduced, blood banks still have to cater to those critically ill, blood disorder patients, cancer patients needing platelet infusion, women needing blood transfusion following childbirth and trauma patients.

Biswabrata Goswami

KRISHNAGAR, 30 MAY: At a time when blood banks across the state are facing acute shortages as blood donation has dried up during the ongoing lockdown, the Nadia district health department, today, has issued a notice cancelling all voluntary blood donation camps for the next 13 days.

“Due to Covid-19 situation all voluntary blood donation camps have been cancelled from 31 May to 12 June except Dr Norman Bethun Blood Doner’s Association for the interest of public services”, the notice signed by superintendent of district hospital, Nadia (Memo no-2860/(6) dated 30.05.2020, reads.

This notice has created a sharp discontentment among the BJP workers in Krishnagar, who were all set to conduct a blood donation camp at their party office tomorrow where the party leaders Mukul Roy and Jagannath Sarkar were to attend the programme.

“There is no need to cancel blood donation camps from tomorrow when all blood banks are suffering from acute blood shortages. As we, the opposition party in West Bengal, are all set to organize a blood donation camp tomorrow, the district administration has issued such notice to prevent us from doing any social activities. This move is completely based on political intention,” said Saikat Sarkar, a BJP leader in Krishnagar.

Sarkar also alleged, “We recently organized a sit-in demonstration programme in front of the Krishnagar municipality to protest against corruption against the ruling party’s former councilors who in collusion with the administrative officials distributed GR sleeps to the beneficiaries. During agitation, we followed physical distancing protocol, but the police registered cases against some of our party leaders”.
Asit Saha, BJP's district vice-president has reportedly sent a mail to IC, Kotwali urging him to treat the mail as a FIR against Trinamul Congress leaders -Rajib Banerjee, a state forest minister, Mohua Maitra, MP from Krishnagar and others who recently met the Amphan victims and party supporters thus violating physical distancing protocol.

The BJP workers said though the general demand of blood and blood products might have reduced, blood banks still have to cater to those critically ill, blood disorder patients, cancer patients needing platelet infusion, women needing blood transfusion following childbirth and trauma patients.

These apart there are several patients who require regular blood transfusion. Many patients are suffering from thalassemia and sickle cell disease. So, in this situation, the decision to cancel the blood donation camp is very much shocking, said a BJP leader.