Dhanbad traders on Sunday donated blood to Sahid Nirmal Mahto Memorial Medical College and Hospital’s blood bank, facing shortage during the Covid pandemic.

The majority of the donors of the blood bank are from IIT (ISM) and BIT Sindri. Both the campuses are conducting online classes and hostels have been evacuated with the surge in cases.

Around 13 units of blood were donated at a blood donation camp jointly organised by Purana Bazar Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Dhanbad Chamber of Commerce, Park Market at Vivekanand Chowk of Hirapur.

“As majority of members of both the units of chamber of commerce have taken first or second dose of vaccine and generally blood donation is not considered safe within one month of taking vaccine so the donation was lesser than our expectation but we tried our bit to add to the stock and more camps will continue,” said Sanjeev Chaurasia of Dhanbad Chamber of Commerce.

Dr A.K. Singh, SNMMCH’s blood bank in-charge said, “Though we are facing some shortage of stock in negative groups but overall the situation is alarming as we had 100 units of stock during the morning which increased to 113 following the donation of 13 units by members of two different units of Chamber of Commerce.”

“We were apprehending blood shortage following the intensification of Covid vaccination drive but since a lot of awareness had been carried out about the possible blood crisis due to vaccination by a number of voluntary blood donor organisations, such people whose one month of vaccination has been completed are coming in large numbers to donate blood to tide over the crisis,” said Dr Singh.