Seven-year-old Bishu Sarkar was turned away by the Central Blood bank located in Maniktala, last Monday as the stock of A positive blood had exhausted. This minor from Tollygunge needs 250 ml blood after every three weeks. Similar is the case of fourteen-year-old Aslam Sheikh of Uluberia. Sheikh was unable to undergo blood transfusion as the only blood bank of this suburban town located in the Uluberia Sub Division Hospital is running short of stock.

" Blood collection has been affected due to the polls. But we are trying to make it up. We have already collected 500 units of blood in the districts of Midnapore in the past few days. The condition is not satisfactory in Siliguri due to the political turmoil," said Amarnath Mukherjee, Deputy Director Blood Safety, Swastha Bhavan.

The scorching heat and the norwesters has also affected the slowing down of the collection rate, said Mukherjee.

"Summers are the worst season for the collection of blood. A healthy body gets de-energized due to excessive fluid loss in the months of March, April and May. This results in building up of a false notion among the blood donors that donation of blood this time is bad," he added. Children with negative blood groups and A or AB positive are the worst hit with the shortage in the blood bank.