PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
With the commencement of the blood Garuda service, accessing blood from different hospitals for attendees at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay District Hospital will become more convenient, according to medical superintendent Dr VS Chauhan. He said that a meeting was held recently with the district magistrate Savin Bansal during which the DM directed the hospital administration to initiate the blood Garuda service. Following this, the hospital administration submitted a proposal for approval to the DM, which is expected to be granted in the next two to three days, he said.
He added that once approved, the hospital administration plans to purchase a small electric vehicle for the blood Garuda service. Funding for this vehicle will come from the hospital’s annual budget, with an estimated cost of Rs six to seven lakh rupees. Additionally, the chief development officer will appoint a driver for the vehicle. Dr Chauhan emphasised the service’s importance, noting that the hospital currently does not have a blood bank. As a result, attendees must visit different hospitals to arrange blood for their patients. The blood Garuda service will facilitate this process by transporting attendees to hospitals where blood is available. A fee of Rs 50 will be charged for this service, while it will be provided free of cost to underprivileged attendees.
Dr Chauhan also informed that the construction of the blood bank is underway. Out of the planned two floors, one has already been completed and the entire project is expected to be finished within six months.
It will be recalled that following the laying of the foundation stone by Health minister Dhan Singh Rawat, the construction of the blood bank at Deen Dayal Upadhyay District Hospital has officially commenced on the hospital premises in February.
