Why Blood Shortages Persist in India—and What Doctors Want the Public to Know
A senior Internal Medicine specialist explains why voluntary blood donation remains critical for emergencies, dengue, cancer care, and maternal health in India.
Despite rapid advances in medical science, one element of healthcare remains irreplaceable: donated blood. According to Dr Tapas Kumar Koley, HOD and Consultant in Internal Medicine at Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, blood transfusion continues to be among the most immediate and decisive life-saving interventions in modern medicine.
With over 35 years of clinical experience, Dr Koley says that while modern medicine offers advanced diagnostics and powerful drugs, blood transfusion continues to be among the most immediate and decisive life-saving interventions. In cases of severe anemia, uncontrolled bleeding, trauma, or medical emergencies, there is often no substitute. “At that moment,” he explained, “blood is not supportive treatment—it becomes the treatment.”
Throughout his career, Dr Koley has seen the impact of blood donation across a wide range of conditions common in Indian hospitals. These include post-partum hemorrhage, dengue fever, road traffic accidents, gastrointestinal bleeding, and cancer treatment. In many such cases, patient survival depended on whether blood was available in time. The donors, he noted, usually remain anonymous to both doctors and patients, yet their contribution often determines the outcome.
Blood availability continues to be a challenge in India. According to Dr Koley, shortages are most visible during seasonal disease outbreaks, emergencies, and holiday periods, when demand rises but voluntary blood donation does not keep pace. He has frequently seen families rushing to arrange replacement donors at short notice—delays that can worsen outcomes even in well-equipped hospitals.
Misconceptions about blood donation remain a major barrier, Dr Koley said. Many people hesitate due to fears that donating blood is unsafe or may cause weakness. Drawing on decades of clinical observation, he dismissed these concerns as largely unfounded. Blood donation, he emphasized, is a safe and regulated process, and the body replenishes donated blood quickly. He has seen many individuals donate blood regularly over the years while remaining healthy. One unit of donated blood can also be separated into components and used to help more than one patient.
“Blood cannot be manufactured. In emergencies, it is often the single intervention that decides whether a patient lives or dies.”
Describing voluntary blood donors as the silent backbone of emergency and critical care, Dr Koley said doctors can save lives only when blood is available. What makes blood donation unique, he added, is its selflessness. Donors rarely meet the people whose lives they save, yet their decision supports hospitals every day.
As World Blood Donor Day highlights the ongoing need for safe blood supplies, Dr Koley urged healthy individuals—especially young people—to view voluntary blood donation as a civic responsibility. After 35 years in medicine, one conclusion remains unchanged: donated blood continues to save lives across Indian hospitals every single day.
