Cuttack: Donating blood is a noble cause. This social message has turned a revolution over the years. Many social workers are seen donating blood in blood donation camps. Blood donation camps are being organised by social organisations as well as Government Agencies from time to time where volunteers are seen donating blood. And due to this noble cause, many patients are getting new lives. Yet, some people have taken this noble effort as a trade. They are finding people who are worried and helpless to arrange a unit of blood for their relative and earning a large amount of money from broking. While this practice is ripe in Cuttack, where the top most hospital of the State is located, here is the ground reality. A report by Kalinga TV.
Earlier blood brokers were active in the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. However, after strong action was taken now things are under control. Still, there are dalals in various places of Cuttack. Of course, administration is taking strong action against them.
May it be a relative or a stranger; it really feels pain to see people going post to pillar to arrange a unit of blood. Because, once the blood will be arranged, then only the treatment will go ahead. Besides, this is the thing on which life of the patient depends.
A person needs to do many tough efforts to arrange a unit of blood. From getting a requisition letter to practically getting your patient donated a unit of blood, is a big challenge. Besides, for the people who come with their patient from far places, the task becomes even more difficult. They are not acquainted with the Silver city. Amid that reality going from here to there to arrange a blood is not an easy task.
At this juncture they come across with the blood brokers who are available near blood banks and hospitals. They want to take advantage of the condition of these people to earn big money. These brokers demand a lot of money to provide blood to the needy.
Recently, a few such brokers who are also called dalals, were arrested by Mangalabag Police. They were allegedly influencing relatives of patients near the Blood Bank. They are Bikash Swain, Padmacharan Das and Sanjay Pradhan from Bhubaneswar.
These people were taking more than thousands of rupees for a unit of blood. Police are probing whether there are cases pending in the names of these people. Police have seized blood requisition letters and two phones from their possession. Police are probing whether any other person is involved.
When these accused persons were being forwarded to Court they were heard saying that there are hundreds of other dalals active in the city. Even, staffs of blood banks and the security personnel are involved. The arrested persons were accusing with many such allegations.
Are these allegations true? It cannot be completely set aside because earlier involvement of blood bank staff had been complained. Of course, SCB administration immediately took steps against them. Afterwards, such incidents were not seen in SCB. But in the Red Cross Blood Bank blood broking allegedly is still ripe.
Of course Red Cross officers and SCB administrators have said that if you are known about any blood broking let them know so that they can take strong action against it.
Besides, why genuine patients are finding trouble to get blood, for which they are forced to depend on blood dalals. As such brokers are here. And especially during summer when scarcity of blood is felt in the blood bank, these brokers are taking advantage of it.
Ms Kalinga