Life & Health

Citizens in the Bagmati Province will be provided blood transfusion services free of cost.

The Province Government has launched the service, as per the Blood Transfusion Service Operation and Management Working Procedure, targeting people who can't afford the service. 
Blood transfusion is medically one of the most essential services.  

The Chitwan District Health Office has reached an agreement with the Regional Blood Transfusion Center in Bharatpur fto make the free service available in the district. 

Office Chief Durga Dutta Chapagain and Gyanshali Neupane, president of Nepal Red Cross Society's provincial blood transfusion center, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides in the presence of representatives from three hospitals in the district. 

According to the Office Chief, patients receiving treatment at Bharatpur Hospital, BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital and Bakulahar Ratnagar Hospital will be entitled to the free service.

A patient meeting the criteria for free service will get 10 units of blood in a year. Besides, a dialysis patient and the one who needs frequent blood transfusions will get additional 10 units of blood. 

The patient shall present documents to confirm that the service seeker is a citizen of the province while stating that paid service is unaffordable for them. Having said that, in case of emergency cases, geography will not be a matter to get the service, it has been reported.   

The office has allocated budget for the free distribution of 3,800 units of blood in a year.

The center takes Rs 850 as the service charge. There is a demand for around 150 units of blood in the district each day. 

The supply is not sufficient to meet the demand and it is adjusted by obtaining blood from neighboring districts, Kathmandu and Pokhara.

The service is expected to be directly beneficial for patients from the indigent community. Blood transfusion is highly required in accident cases, cancer, and delivery cases. - RSS