India, Dec. 24 -- The civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa is facing a 30% shortage of blood and has appealed to the public to come forward to donate blood. The shortage has resulted in the hospital postponing surgeries, potentially risking patients' lives.

The 500-bed hospital is a pivotal medical centre that caters to critical cases from across Thane and Palghar districts. These include accidents cases and other medical emergencies that require surgery.

The hospital has been under further pressure for the last two years, ever since the government-run Thane civil hospital in Thane city all but shut. The Thane facility, another go-to institution for patients in a large radius, is being remodelled and expanded and has ...