Mumbai's Bhabha Hospital faces blood shortage amid mismanagement and plummeting donations

Bhabha Hospital in Mumbai is facing a blood collection crisis. The civic-run facility saw a 36 per cent drop in donations over two years. Despite this, a deep freezer worth nearly Rs 5 lakh was bought for a blood bank that lacks the licence to process plasma. Blood collection at the hospital fell sharply from 1,110 units in 2023-24 to 729 units in 2025-26. In May 2026 alone, only 21 units were collected, with a donation camp adding 38 more. Patients with thalassemia, dengue, liver disorders, and kidney diseases now struggle to access services locally.

The hospital has a 2,120 sq ft space reserved for a component separation unit, but it remains unused. Officials admit a standard refrigerator, not the expensive deep freezer, was the immediate need. A tender process is now underway to operate the blood bank fully under a civic collaboration model. The unused facility and declining donations have forced patients to seek treatment elsewhere. The hospital aims to resolve the issue through the new tender. The deep freezer, bought without a licence, highlights the mismanagement in the current setup.