The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Needed: blood and voluntary donors

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Wednesday, Sep 05, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Needed: blood and voluntary donors

Special Correspondent

Campaign to be launched on October 1 to encourage voluntary blood donation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Blood Donation Day on October 1 this year will witness the launch of a series of promotional events all over the State to encourage regular voluntary donation of blood, especially among youth.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, C.R. Soman, chairman of Health Action by People, K.C. Usha of the Department of Transfusion Medicine Medical College and Jaisy Mathai of the Sri Chithra Blood Transfusion Services stressed the need for a campaign to dispel unfounded fears and eliminate unhealthy practices about blood donation.

Dr. Mathai said though the mobile blood collection units and the component separation facility at the Sri Chithira Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) had helped augment the supply of blood to the needy, voluntary blood donation was still less than 30 per cent.

Dr. Soman said the Government alone could not be expected to coordinate, support, mobilise and facilitate safe blood transfusion. He highlighted the need for academic institutions and industrial houses in the public and private sectors to join hands with the Government in this venture.

Competitions

This year’s campaign in Kerala is being organised by blood bag manufacturers Terumo Penpol in association with the State Bank of Travancore and NGOs. Competitions will be organised in colleges and schools in the city.

Contests in poster drawing, slogan writing, debating and essay writing on the theme of blood donation will be held on September 7.

A candlelight rally will be taken out in the city on October 1. The rally will start from the Central Stadium.

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