Shri B P Sharma, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) inaugurated the Voluntary Blood Donation Camp organized by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at Nirman Bhawan, here today. The Health Secretary also met a group of thalassemic children who were present at the camp. Total 310 units of blood were collected till 3 pm at the Blood Donation Camp today. The camp was organized to help the thalassemic children and patients suffering from Dengue.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare aims to collect blood for providing hospitals without replacement. However, this is not possible till the voluntary blood donors come forward to donate blood. During summer and especially the dengue season there is a huge scarcity of blood. In India 39,000 units of blood are required every day. As against the requirement of 130 lakh units of blood, the present collection provides only 90 lakh units.
The National Health Mission (NHM) is trying to strengthen the district level blood centres so that First Referral Units (FRUs) are catered for blood efficiently. Small Blood collection Mobile units as well as transportation vans are given to states to mobilise the voluntary blood donation in remote areas. NHM is also catering to FRUs with sufficient manpower and equipments to run these centres 24x7.
Several officers and staff of the Ministries located at Nirman Bhawan took part in the Blood Camp organised by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Also present on this occasion were Dr. Jagdish Prasad, DGHS, Shri C K Mishra, AS&MD (NHM), Shri Arun Kumar Panda, Additional Secretary (Health), Shri Navreet Singh Kang, AS&DG (CGHS/NACO), Shri K B Agrawal, AS (Food and Drugs), Shri Ali R. Rizvi, JS, Shri Manoj Jhalani, JS and other senior officers of the Health Ministry.