TEAM HERALD
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CANACONA: Residents of Canacona have expressed anguish over the health department’s move to shift a blood storage unit from Community Health Centre (CHC) Chaudi to District Hospital in Mapusa on Thursday.
According to CHC sources, the blood storage unit at the CHC two years ago was lying idle and it was decided to shift it to the Mapusa hospital.
As moves were afoot on Thursday morning to load the unit into a pickup, a few residents, including Canacona Congress Block President Elvis Fernandes, met the acting health officer for an explanation in the matter.
The acting officer politely displayed a letter from Directorate of Health Service (DHS) to the group of people and informed them that the idle blood storage unit at the CHC was being shifted to District Hospital in Mapusa and she had to obey the orders.
When contacted, CHC acting Health Officer Dr Vandana Dessai said the blood storage unit was lying unused at CHC for the last two years and as per the DHS orders it has been shifted to District Hospital in north Goa to put it for suitable use. “No patients in Canacona have benefited from it,” said the doctor.
Dr Dessai further informed that no doctor in the past requisitioned its use as no operations or blood transfusions were carried out at CHC.
“We neither have a blood bank in Canacona nor do we collect blood for storage purpose. No additional staff was posted to operate the unit and only a technician was trained, but it is difficult for one man to handle it,” she said.
Fernandes, however, refuted claims that there was no need for a blood storage unit at Canacona.
“There is a dialysis unit functioning at CHC, while the government recently opened an EMRI emergency room at the CHC building. Do these units not require blood in case of an emergency,” asked Fernandes.
