Mumbai: Bridging the gap for a modern, comprehensive and low-cost Blood Bank facility, Somaiya Hospital, Sion has replaced its existing Blood Bank with a full-fledged infrastructure with state-of-art technology.  Rotary Club of Mumbai Queen’s Necklace has come forward with financial assistance with an aim to address the poor and needy patients. The Blood Bank was inaugurated by Mrs. Lata Subraidu, first lady Governor of District 3140 and Dr.Sendurai Mani, Co Director at the Metastasis Research Centre, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX.

With capacity of 550 beds, the multi-specialty Somaiya Hospital’s Blood Bank would be among the biggest such facilities and would have everything a modern facility would have. It includes an enhanced blood storage room to ensure safe storage of blood through plasma freezers, incubators and agitators. An initiative to develop a quality control room and component preparation room has also been incorporated in this project.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Samir Somaiya said that the city of Mumbai is woefully short in infrastructure related to blood management and this shortage is impacting the overall standards of medical care.

Chairman of K.J. Somaiya Medical trust, Mr. Samir Somaiya mentioned that, ‘’Our dream is to ensure a centre where the best treatment, best education and best access to care are provided. We are in the process of building a vision to take a step forward in the pursuit of this dream. This facility will ensure the prominent arrival of a blood bank that is among the best. The Somaiya Trust has always tried to make hospital care available to all, irrespective of their financial condition or any other socio-cultural parameters’’.

Dean of K J Somaiya Medical College and Research Centre, Geeta Niyogi, said, ”The state-of-art blood bank will cater highly to the locals in the north eastern suburbs and central Mumbai. Also, with the Asian institute of Oncology existent in our hospital the blood bank would ensure further essential assistance”.

Speaking about joining hands with Somaiya Hospital, Mr.Sanjiv Mehta, President of Rotary Club of Mumbai Queen’s Necklace said, “We are happy that we could contribute towards making this a reality.  We humbly believe that enhancing quality of healthcare for the underserved is a responsibility that should be shared by everyone in Mumbai”