My experience with Blood Donation in Kanpur.
I got a call in morning from a prof asking if I was willing to donate blood for a staff member of her department.I agreed and my chance of exploring the lanes of government working started.I reached the Medical college(4:30) to find that the patient's wife is in another hospital- Hallet and waited.I waited for 20 mins for her, then we proceeded to the blood donation room to find utter chaos and everyone interacting with each other in full emotions as if an accident had occurred and people are trying to know how it occurred. Actually it was to find who was the attendant and where he was.In some time we did get to know that a person who was relaxedly chatting on a phone for last 10 mins was the guest of honour. Then he sat down on his throne and commanded each one of us inside the room to go out and then only he would start any work.Some of them went out.Then he took the blood donation forms from every one still inside and gave a number to everyone.The number was meant to indicate the order in which they came and all donations should ideally occur in the same chronology.He then again went back to his seat and refused to work till everyone is out of room.
In the room there were two beds and one lady other than the man/attendant/prince.The lady was continually working(doing some chemical tests and writing somethings in register). The two beds meant to be resting place for blood donors was still waiting for occupancy.
The man then rose up from his seat after some more people left the room and started doing some chemical tests.In few minutes a person came with two people along him and got both of them rested on the two beds.He was a person who came with some reach as he told the attendant that he was sent by some person whose name I don't remember.When the two men had gone(around 6:00) the attendant called out "Number 38" .This was a very soothing sound as people came to know that what no. was actually going at the time. One transfer of blood takes around 20 mins and our number was 57.That meant 19 people before us.The maths clearly told us that we had to wait a long time.Still we asked the attendant who told us to come after 2 hours. The lady willing to see her husband asked me to come with her to the hospital. This is how I got to see the main government hospital of Kanpur-Hallet. The crumbling walls of hospital was clear from the entry and foul smell increased as the walk progressed. The hide and seek of rats was the next entertainer and adventurous jumps of lizards reminded me of some action movie where actors just jump from high places to attack their targets. Then we entered the general ward of the hospital, a place where almost everyone seemed a patient and the ones actually lying on bed appeared almost paralyzed and mostly unconscious.We reached our patient. He was suffering from malaria who had had blood vommitting and low haemoglobin(3.2). The bandage under which needle for medicine was inserted was pinkish indicating loss of blood and medicine due to poor insertion of needle which was confirmed when patient(Anil Singh) told how the nurse spent a total of less than 2 seconds to insert it caring a damn about where his vein was which she surely would have anticipated with her practice.Unable to bear the smell I got out of the general ward and roamed in the hospital along flooded floors and seeping terraces.I decided to go out of hospital just to find slums surrounding me and darkness of poverty ready to engulf me.I came back to hospital after 20 mins of walk.In around 20 more minutes they decided to head back to medical college.It must be around 7:15 i.e. one hour and 15 mins after the meet with attendant.
We reached back to find that the system of number is abolished and only those who are from Hallet can get blood. It was fine from the point that we were still allowed to stay there but what about those whose patients were not from Hallet and waited for more than 2 hours.Was the wait just to hear that they won't get blood. Anyways the attendant was still not working for them too.He was on his condition that every one must vacate the room or he won't work which every has to follow. The need is of us not his. The duty of the attendant ends at 8:15 after which he starts wrapping up the work and next person comes at 10 pm who will have all his new laws.Next announcement from attendant came after 40 mins-"Only those in Operation Theater will get blood".Now this was for us.Our patient had low haemoglobin but was not in OT. We tried to argue for some time citing the wait we already had done but everything fell on deaf ears.He just told us to come back the next day.
Oh there was this professor too in this whole affair who arranged the whole blood donation who called just then hoping my immaturity about not informing the successful completion of blood donation.Well had to face disappointment I guess.So deciding to come the next day with asking the wife of patient to take the number well in advance I left the medical college at around 8:30. Last 4 hours were a very learning experience.
Day 2:
After confirming the taking of number at 2 pm and informing the attendant that I would come in between 6:30 and 6:45 pm I reached in time i.e. 6:30 pm to find that the wife of patient is late. Well being late on her side is acceptable as being wife of a patient requires you to do many tasks and knowing the low sincerity from the family side from the last day's experience the delay in arrival from her side did not affect me at all.We went inside to find that the condition is exactly the same as yesterday other than the fact that the attendant was not on phone but still asking everyone to leave the room and was ideally sitting on the chair with both beds empty. When our number came at around 7:20 the lady turned out to have not brought the needed blood sample but a note from doctor as the patient was already in low blood,so the doctor suggested that the blood transfer be allowed.But we are in medical college and the attendant is the ruler of the donation facility who cares nothing about doctors recommendation.She then rushes back to Hallet finding no point in trying out to explain the attendant.She came back in half an hour just to find that the ending time of attendant is approaching and the same only OT people rule started. This defined the failure to donate blood this day too. The lady felt pity on me and decided she would run the patient on medicine and injection and refused to ask me to come again. She was adamant that she would inform the doctor of the situation and her inablity to find blood.
Hence a bit upset on my failure to donate blood I went to Rave Moti to buy curtain and pillow and also to cheer up my mood.Hence ended my attempt to make a little difference to the society- failed and demotivated.Well on a plus note-I got a good treat from Professor for these.
Well this was my experience.Do share your views and suggestions.Please do something if you can to improve the condition.
