Kathmandu Valley is facing a serious blood shortage during the Dashain holidays, with daily demand exceeding 400 pints while collections have fallen to around 20 pints.
The Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) issued an urgent appeal for donors on October 28 after stocks of whole blood, packed red blood cells and platelet-rich plasma were reported depleted at its Central Blood Transfusion Service. Officials said the shortage affected all blood groups at the centre. Other blood banks in the Valley are also struggling, and NRCS officials in Bhaktapur said they could not meet requests from patients’ relatives.
Patients struggle to arrange blood
Parek BK travelled from Kalikot to Kathmandu for treatment of his one-year-old daughter, who has serious burn injuries and was scheduled for another surgery at Kirtipur Hospital on Thursday morning. He needs two pints of blood but said he had waited for hours at the Central Blood Transfusion Service without finding a donor. Other families are seeking blood for heart valve replacement surgery and for a patient whose haemoglobin level had fallen to 5.4.
Concerns have been raised for patients with kidney failure, thalassaemia and cancer, and for women requiring Caesarean sections. Blood is also needed for emergency surgery and childbirth complications.
Why supply has fallen
Large numbers of people have left the Valley for Dashain. The Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office said 576,578 people left in 79,676 vehicles between Ghatasthapana and October 20.
The NRCS said donation programmes declined because offices and educational institutions closed, removing the organised camps that supply much of the blood. Some regular donors are also ineligible. People who gave blood after the August 26 Bhotekoshi flood cannot donate again until three months have passed.
How to donate
The NRCS has asked healthy, eligible people and organisations to arrange donation programmes. The Central Blood Transfusion Service at Soalteemod, Kathmandu, provides an emergency service around the clock. Contact numbers are 01-5388485 and 01-5388486, and the NRCS toll-free line is 1130. Donors should call ahead to confirm stock and arrangements before travelling.
Other centres include the NRCS Bhaktapur Blood Bank (01-6611661), the Lalitpur Blood Bank at Pulchowk (01-5427033) and Himal Blood Transfusion Center (986-2737316). The government’s National Bureau for Blood Transfusion Services maintains an online directory of registered centres, though its stock figures may not be current.
According to the bureau, donors are generally aged 18 to 60, weigh at least 45 kg and have haemoglobin of at least 12 g/dL. The blood bank makes the final decision after screening. Donors should eat regular meals, drink water and disclose health details honestly, including recent donations, illness, medication or surgery.
Organising drives
Offices, colleges and community groups should coordinate drives with the NRCS or another authorised blood transfusion service, which must handle collection, testing, processing and distribution. Blood should not be collected independently.
The shortage raises wider questions about reliance on institutional camps during long holidays and how quickly stock can be shared between centres.
