Bhutanese cancer patients referred to the TATA Medical Center in Kolkatta, India are persistently facing blood shortage for transfusion. Currently, there are 119 Bhutanese patients undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Although blood transfusions are not for treating the blood cancer itself, they give healthy blood cells if the patient’s body cannot produce its own. However, at the TATA Medical Center, the situation is difficult. Due to the acute shortage of donors, patients and their attendants say this is hindering timely treatment of the disease.
“After arriving here, I was informed that I needed a blood transfusion. While the hospital provides the required blood, we are required to replace the amount we use. Back home, this wouldn’t be an issue, but here, all the Bhutanese present are either patients or their escorts, making it difficult to find donors. Until we replenish the blood supplied by the hospital, they will not provide any additional units,” said Tashi, a Patient at Tata Medical Center, Kolkata, India.
“A serious problem for those who come here for treatment is the shortage of blood donors. After admitting the patients here, the hospital provides around 20 units of blood. However, if a future need for blood arises, we face difficulties. Additionally, being a lone attendant, even if I want to donate for other patients, I cannot because I need to think of my patient,” said Namgay Wangchuk, a Patient Attendant at Tata Medical Center, Kolkata, India.
He also said in some urgent cases, relatives of Bhutanese patients have to come from Bhutan to the hospital for blood donation. This, he said, costs around Nu 7,000 for a two-day round trip per person by bus and around Nu 22,000 by flight. Additionally, people have to pay extra charges if they find local donors in India.
“An issue for those coming here at Tata Medical Center for treatment is finding blood donors. While we get donors by contacting the locals here, in times of emergencies when doctors call for the need, we find it difficult. The locals here support, but they charge extra fees for their donation,” said Dawa Dakpa, a Patient Escort at Tata Medical Center, Kolkata.
To ease the pressure on Bhutanese patients, under His Majesty The King’s Kidu, 10 batches of De-suung volunteers have been deployed for blood donation at the hospital so far.
Since the initiative began in July last year, 345 de-suups have taken part in the campaign, benefitting 21 patients. And there are plans to resume the initiative.
“By the 28th of March, the 1st batch of 2025 will go and donate. Initially, when the proposal was submitted, we committed that we would donate around 1,000 units. We have completed around 345 units so far,” said Tandin Dorji, Chief Planning Officer, De-suung Office.
For this, the De-suung Office and Drukair Corporation signed an agreement to address the logistical challenges associated with the initiative.
“The De-suung project faced the problem of transportation. The voluntary blood donors were going to Kolkata by road with a lot of wastage of time as well as problems associated with going by bus and train. So, Drukair and De-suung signed an MoU in August last year, whereby, whenever we have available seats in Kolkata, we agreed to provide free transportation to the blood donors organised by the De-suung office. Till now we have transported more than 20 people,” said Tandi Wangchuk, CEO, Drukair.
The health ministry’s liaison officer at the hospital stated that efforts are in progress to tackle the issue by encouraging patient escorts to donate blood for fellow Bhutanese patients.
Moreover, the Bhutanese consulate in Kolkotta has plans to organise a blood donation campaign among Bhutanese officials stationed in Kolkata.
Besides the regular shortage of blood for their treatment, Bhutanese patients also have a due of 100 units of blood that need to be replaced at the hospital. A patient is required to replace the blood used from the hospital’s bank if additional blood is required from the hospital.
Without adequate donors, patient attendants are the ones who not only have to bear the responsibility of taking care of their patients but also look for blood donors to replenish the bank.
Namgay Wangchuk & Kelzang Chhophyel
Edited by Kipchu
