Anirudh Narayan (14), who is battling with blood cancer has just undergone a bone marrow transplant at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (KDAH) and needs blood platelets every alternate day. But with Mumbai's dengue count at an all time high, it’s a catch-22 situation for the blood banks bearing the brunt.
"The only treatment for dengue is to keep the blood platelet count up. Since there isn't much awareness about blood platelets, the donors are limited," said Dr Praveen Clement, transplant coordinator at the Marrow Donor Registry India.
With the city hospitals flooded with dengue patients the demand for platelets is extremely high. What complicates matters is that unlike blood, platelets cannot be stored for more than four days. "Cancer patients need blood platelets every alternate day and in severe cases dengue patients too. Platelet donation is a simple process but takes around two hours and the facility might not be available at all the blood banks," said Dr Bhushan Amle, head and blood bank in-charge, Prince Aly Khan hospital.
For now TB Narayanan, Anirudh's father has turned to WhatsApp groups to find more donors but there are many across the city in the same boat, struggling to find adequate blood platelets donors. According to the latest data released by the BMC, civic hospitals are treating 382 confirmed cases of dengue. So far, 12,322 more patients have been admitted with the symptoms of fever.
So how are blood banks tackling with the situation? While many have turned to conducting camps to encourage platelet donors, some are being forced to turn away the patients. "There are two types of blood platelets, random donor which is taken from multiple donors and single donor which is taken from one single donor," said Dr Clement.
While random donor platelet costs between Rs300 to Rs1,500, one unit of single donor platelet can cost as much as Rs 20,000. "As a doctor I will always prefer my patients to get a single donor platelet but it takes time for donors to do so. Hence blood banks give random donor platelets too, which has a combination of blood from several donors,” he added.
Anirudh needs blood platelets from O-ve or B-ve donors. To help him contact his father at 8576044321.
All you need to know about blood platelets
Cancer patients, dengue patients need platelets every alternate day
Donating blood platelet is similar to blood donation, just longer
Most big blood banks have facility for platelet donation
Blood platelets can only be stored for four to five days
It hurts the pocket!
Government blood bank
Platelets available for free
Private blood banks
Single donor platelet
Rs 9,000 to 20,000
Random donor platelet
Rs 300 to 1,500
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Anirudh Narayan")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}