Blood For All; No Need To Panic
Problem statement: There is no blood facility available nearby almost all the hospitals in Karachi, many peoples facing this issue of not getting the blood on time and have to go very far to arrange the blood
My life before 2020 was going in all swings, there were not-at-all tensions, all I was just enjoying, learning from different exposure of my life, going to university regularly, studying hard for the grades, making projects, participating in social events, making friends, discussing them with common and daily life occasions, enjoying meals, and having a wonderful life
Then there was a part in my life that appeared that totally broke and shook me up, when I get to know about my father that he is having “Buccal mucosa carcinoma of moderately staged” which is in simple words called mouth cancer of stage 2 (out of three).
This I get to know in February 2020, that there is a limp inside the right side of cheek of my father when he had a biopsy test, which was developing for the last 8 months, but my father didn’t tell us because of surgery fear. I was so much surprised and got in a panic that what will I do now, as there was no option other than surgery, so summing up, I rushed to a different hospital, meeting different doctors, researching about the surgery and operation.
So, registering my father’s name in Aga Khan university hospital (AKUH), which is considered as one of the best hospitals in the town, when the staff called us for the operation day, unfortunately, the bed wasn’t available due to which the operation delayed for one more week, and the cancer is spreading day by day. Next week, the operation was so much successful Alhamdulillah, the cancer portion was removed, and the new flash portion which was taken from the leg was successfully attached to the right cheek by the plastic surgery process.
By the time gone, after the effect of anesthesia being finished, My father got conscious, and he was kept in ICU for almost 5 days after the operation. During in ICU, a nurse came to me, saying: “ you have to arrange at least 4 to 5 bottles of A+ blood as soon as possible, as the hospital is out of stock from this antigen, and make sure you have to get A+ blood only and not any other replacement blood”. At that time, I was really in shock that we have already paid a huge amount of money for the surgery but we have to arrange the blood too, and the unavailability of blood in such a big hospital was seriously unbelievable for me, In a panic, I was calling my friends and relatives to arrange and donate the blood if they are from the A+ group category.
“Blood cannot buy from money, It is the only thing that can be got by giving it to the same or in another form”. I found myself in such a miserable situation that I cant really does in such a situation, as the blood bank was so far from the locality, and I can't leave the hospital, so I called all peoples on my contact list. My uncle went for Hussaini blood bank located near Numaish chowrangi, Karachi. But there, there was a large crowd of people wanting the blood for their loved ones, so my uncle was not able to collect the A+ blood. Luckily one of my friends was of A+ blood category, he reached the hospital and donated the blood, some of my relatives reached hospital too for the donation, which by the grace of God, 4–5 bottles of blood was arranged
But what about the peoples, who don't have such friends and relatives of some antigens of blood category. Do they have no right to have the blood in their category? Will they be forced to travel in that toughest situation to collect the blood? Is there any way out to have a blood bank nearby the hospital or at least a camp in which different donors can come and donate their blood. So, this is one of the most crucial thing on which we have to bring our focus to have a blood bank nearby hospitals
I visited different hospitals, met with some of the peoples there, taking their opinions regarding the opening of a blood bank or at least a camp for people can have no less tension regarding the blood. They appreciated my idea, and some had gone through this problem, told me that they faced such trauma in their lives too
Some benefits which I achieved that I come up with an idea in which most of the peoples are unaware of it, when the situation happens to them, then they feel the intensity of the pain and the gap between hospitals and blood banks
Having a blood bank near hospitals, as the distance will be reduced between hospitals and blood banks, could really decrease the palpitation of the attendees of the patients. People will a facility to collect the blood needed for the patient, and in this way, there is a proper system of blood donation near hospitals
