India Seeks to Increase Donations
(The Hindu, New Dehli) - ”Donation in any form has been a part of our cultural ethos, but donation of blood is irreplaceable. The challenge of today is to increase the number of voluntary blood donors and this can be achieved through peer guidance, appropriate education and awareness generation,” said Indian Council of Medical Research Director-General N. K. Ganguly here on Monday.
He was speaking at a function organised to mark National Voluntary Blood Donor’s Day at the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS).
To mark the day, a painting and slogan writing competition was also organised in which 35 thalassaemic children in the 10 to 17 years age group took part. This was followed by a symposium on “Recruitment and Retention of Blood Donors” and a blood donation camp at Sant Nirankari Mandal in Rohini.
IRCS Secretary-General S. P. Agarwal said: “The Indian Red Cross with its 108 blood banks all over India is able to meet 10 per cent of the total blood demand in the country and the national headquarter is providing free blood transfusion services to 900 thalassaemic children. Retention and recruitment of the donors requires a scientific approach which can be achieved partly if people who are handling it have the right attitude.”