Visakhapatnam: Awareness plays a key role in motivating people to donate blood, say doctors, representatives of voluntary organisations

Awareness plays a key role in motivating people to donate blood, say doctors, representatives of voluntary organisations and responsible citizens, on the eve of Blood Donors Day

It was heartening to see hundreds of people making a beeline for a hospital, and patiently awaiting their turn in queue, to donate blood for the hapless victims of the recent triple train tragedy at Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station in Odisha. Their timely gesture has saved several lives.

On the call given by film actor Chiranjeevi to donate blood for the train accident victims, a blood donation camp was organised by budding actor Deepak Saroj at the IRCS Blood Bank in the city recently. “A total of 104 units of blood was collected at the camp,” says S.K.L. Rao, administrative officer of the blood bank.

(When people donate blood during normal times, it will be easy to tackle such situations. The blood requirements of the nation can be met, even if 2% of India’s population donates blood. Any healthy persons between 17 and 65 years of age can donate blood.)

Awareness plays a key role in motivating people to donate blood, say doctors, representatives of voluntary organisations and responsible citizens, on the eve of Blood Donors Day.

“Shabda, an NGO, is organising a blood donation camp in which students of Andhra Medical College(AMC) would donate blood on the occasion of World Blood Donors Day on Wednesday,” says Dr. C.B. Naidu, Medical Officer of KGH Blood Bank. “Notwithstanding the scientific advances being made in the world, there is no way of making blood artificially. The only what to meet the blood requirements in emergencies is through collection of donated blood,” says Kameswara Rao, general secretary of Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV).

“Donation by a single person can save up to four lives as some patients may need platelets, some plasma and others whole blood. (Blood component separation machines are available at many blood banks nowadays.) Further, with many senior citizens living alone in India, while their children are migrating abroad, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a donor, who matches their blood group in emergencies. They have the money but cannot get the blood required,” he says.

“Due to the oppressive heat during the past few weeks, not many donors are coming forward to donate blood. Voluntary organisations are also reluctant to hold camps as dehydration can occur. Donors should drink double the amount of water, they normally do, before coming to donate blood,” says Dr. A. Sugandhi, Director of AS Raja Voluntary Blood Bank.