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The Government Hospital in Mettupalayam was established in the year 1884 to serve the rural population in the northern parts of Coimbatore District, as well as the neighbouring Nilgiris District. This is the largest such Government facility in the region, serving a population of more than 600,000 people. The nearest similar Hospital is more than 40 kms away. Of the patients that are served by the Hospital, more than 60% are categorized as "Below Poverty Line" by the Government, and another 10% are tribals from the hills in the neighbouring Nilgiris District. More than 40,000 patients visit the Hospital every month, apart from approximately 140 out-patients for dental services. The total staff strength is 103, including support staff. The Hospital has 146 beds and three operating theatres for in-patient services. As such, the social impact of the Hospital is immense.
The Hospital has a functioning Blood Bank since 2003. The Blood Bank is licensed for collection and storage of whole blood, FFP and Packed Cells for distribution. Every year, 1,500 to 2,000 units of whole blood are collected by the Blood Bank. 60-70% of the collected blood is used internally and 30-40% is issued to other hospitals on request. In spite of the scale, around 20 patients every month are referred to other hospitals for platelet transfusion. In addition, during each holiday season, there are at least a few mass casualty incidents (due to traffic accidents) where multiple patients come in at the same time. Blood component separation equipment is increasingly becoming a necessity to provide better services to this community.
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