kolkata aloke mitra a resident of college street and an employee at a private firm had a harrowing night on wednesday when he was refused by four blood banks he finally paid a premium at a private facility to get three units of blood needed for his sisterfamilies of patients requiring blood transfusion are in acute distress as blood banks are running dry with blood donation hit by a triple whammy summer covid19 and state elections blood availability is down to a fourth of whats usually in demandtimesviewessential work cannot take a back seat to politics summers are anyway a bad time for blooddonation drives government agencies and voluntary organisations should plan ahead for these seasonswhile blood donation takes a hit every summer covid has precipitated the crisis but whats turned it infinitely worse is the preoccupation of those who organise the blood donation camps social clubs organisations and political parties in the ongoing electionsvoluntary donation makes for nearly 80 supply at the 86 government blood banks across the state during summer blood collection usually dips by 30 but the problem has been compounded by covid as fewer donors are stepping forward risking infection organisation of blood donation camps has also taken a hit as clubs and social organisations that usually hold such camps are now busy with electionrelated activities unlike other states that have gone to polls like tamil nadu kerala and assam where there is no major involvement of political parties in organizing blood donation camps 46 of the camps are organised by political parties or their supporters in bengal hence the crisis during elections unfortunately the parties are not interesting in organising camps without the party banner said west bengal voluntary blood donors forum general secretary apurva ghoshthe state requires around 15 lakh units of blood a year but manages to arrange for around 12 lakh units through blood donation camps the rest are donor volunteers organised by families when the need arises because of the crisis blood banks are now insisting on replacement blood ghosh feared the crisis will persist till august and appealed to citizens to walk into the nearest blood bank and donate blood he also wanted housing societies to take a lead and organise blood donation camps all they need to do is give a call to a forum like ours and everything will be organised he saidd asish who has also been associated with voluntary blood donation movement for four decades felt the administration needs to play a proactive role in mitigating the crisis where have the ac mobile blood collection vans gone tha had been doing the rounds during the peak of covid19 last year these vans should now be stationed at vantage points to encourage people to donate on the spot he suggested