The global surgery blood drought: frontline provider data on barriers and solutions in Bihar, India

Background: Limited access to safe, timely banked blood is a critical barrier to providing basic surgical care in resource-limited settings globally. Contextual, locally driven data are required to elucidate country needs, develop effective interventions, and guide policy decisions. Objective: We employ qualitative methodology to describe barriers faced and solutions proposed by front-line obstetric providers in Bihar – a poor, populous Indian state where maternal mortality exceeds the national average. We aim to make locally driven recommendations for ongoing policy work in India to strengthen the country’s blood transfusion system. Methods: From February to May 2016, two researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 obstetric providers across Bihar. Snowball sampling was employed until thematic saturation was reached. Following immersion into de-identified texts and dual codebook development, a primary analyst completed topical coding, and a secondary analyst confirmed reproducibility. Results: Providers report that pervasive banked blood shortages force hospitals to require replacement donation, but patients’ families often cannot or will not donate. Providers wait one to six hours for blood, depending on availability of staff and supplies, blood bank proximity, and the ability of the patient being treated to navigate the system. Providers feel forced to refer their patients, often to distant, poorly equipped centers. Providers identify donor education, improved infrastructure, and improved local coordination as focus areas for intervention. Conclusions: A multi-stakeholder approach that aims to increase blood donation through community education, mitigate limited infrastructure through short-term workarounds, and improve local-level coordination through state support and policy change is required in Bihar. This study generates data to guide policy and future research aimed at generating affordable, contextually appropriate interventions to the blood drought.