India News | Free Blood for Patients at Maha Govt Hospitals from Dec 12
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Blood will be provided free of cost to patients receiving treatment at state-run hospitals in Maharashtra from December 12, Health Minister Rajesh Tope announced on Thursday.
Mumbai, Dec 10 (PTI) Blood will be provided free of cost to patients receiving treatment at state-run hospitals in Maharashtra from December 12, Health Minister Rajesh Tope announced on Thursday.
Tope made the announcement after donating blood along with party colleague and NCP Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule here.
Earlier, processing charges of Rs 800 were used to be imposed on patients needing blood.
"From Saturday (Dec 12) onwards, no such charges will be levied on patients and blood will be available to them free of cost (at government-run hospitals), he said.
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There are 344 active blood banks in the state.
The state is facing a shortage of blood supply chiefly because of people avoiding crowds in view of the coronavirus outbreak out of fear of catching the infection, Tope said.
Otherwise, Maharashtra always has had sufficient supply and stock of blood, said the minister.
A special blood donation drive is going to be organised in the state from December 13 to 20 to celebrate NCP leader Sharad Pawars 80th birthday which falls on December 12.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)