Principal Secretary Health & Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo, today inaugurated a voluntary blood donation camp in the blood bank of the Lal Ded Hospital as part of a mega function on the eve of National Voluntary Blood Donor Day (NVBDD – 2018).The function was organised by J&K State AIDS Control Society (JKSACS) in collaboration with Government Lal Ded Hospital Srinagar.Atal Dulloo while addressing the gathering explained the importance of the day and also emphasized the need for gearing up various activities to meet the need for sufficient blood in the blood banks functioning in the State. He assured all help from health department in ensuring success of such voluntary blood campaigns to save precious human lives. He said that shortage of blood especially of the rare groups in case of emergencies is still a cause of concern and stressed upon motivating people especially the youth to come forward voluntarily for donating blood so that those in need of blood do not have to run from pillar to post.Project Director JKSACS Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Rather reiterated the importance of donating blood voluntarily and appealed people from all strata of life to come forward for voluntary blood donation.Dr Samia Rashid, Principal GMC, Srinagar in her address informed that GMC Srinagar caters to a number of Hemophilia patients and most of them are children below the age of 15 years. She said that if safe and tested blood is not made available to them timely it can have serious repercussions. She thus reiterated the need for promoting the habit of blood donation.Later the chief guest took a round of the hospital and visited different departments in order to review the working of the hospital.