'Help desk' opens at Lady Goschen hospital

Blood bank to hospital is need of hour, says chief doctor

Indian Red Cross Dakshina Kannada district branch has initiated a ‘Help Desk’ at Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangalore to guide the patients about the facilities available in the hospital. Corporation Bank Chairman Ajay Kumar inaugurated the facility on Tuesday.

Addressing a gathering, Ajay Kumar said that the ‘Help Desk’ which would work 24 hours a day will go a long way in helping the poor and uneducated. Meanwhile, he stressed on the importance of a blood bank in the hospital and offered the financial support from the bank.

Red Cross Society Chairman Dr Shantharam Shetty explained ‘Help Desk’ as a unique facility. “With this, the hospital will be able to provide every kind of facility- from drugs to transportation to the patients,” he said, adding that the blood bank facility which would cost approximately Rs 2.5 lakh is need of the hour for the hospital.

Meanwhile, Dr Shantharama Shetty handed over ‘Akshaya Sanjeevini’ and ‘Akshaya Ambara,’ projects to collect blood and other medical needs from donors to Lady Goshen Hospital Superintendent Dr M M Shakunthala.  

‘Blood bank soon’

Lady Goshen Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr M M Shakunthala said that the hospital has building, blood refrigerators and other infrastructure and equipment for blood bank.

“We have applied for blood bank and the Joint Director has assured of giving license.  We have also demanded to appoint two lab technicians and a doctor,” she added.

“In an average 600 babies are delivered in the hospital every month. Each month we need 60 to 100 bottles of blood. In special cases, a single patient would need upto 30 units of blood. Now we collect blood from Wenlock Hospital, KMC Atttavara, Red Cross or from other hospitals, but at night it is problematic to collect blood. Along with this, Lady Goshen is also the first referral hospital in the city. So, a blood bank is need of the hour,“ she said.