District Red Cross Society, SAS Nagar in collaboration with Vishwas Foundation and PGI, organized a voluntary blood donation and organ donation awareness camp today at the District Administrative Complex, SAS Nagar. About 50 units of blood were collected during the camp and 16 people came forward for organ donation registration.
Mrs Aashika Jain, Deputy Commissioner-cum-President District Red Cross Society, while inaugurating the camp, said that blood donation is a noble cause, with which many precious lives can be saved. She said that people need to show enthusiasm for blood donation as well as registration for organ donation.
She said that while blood donation is useful for saving the lives of living persons and meeting the shortage of plasma, and platelets, organ donation helps keep the needy alive in case of brain death of the organ donor. She said that today we have many examples that with organ donation by one person, the lives of many other people were saved and a new life was given to them.
On this occasion, the Deputy Commissioner encouraged the blood donors to donate blood by installing badges. About 50 blood units were collected by the team of doctors from PGI Chandigarh and 16 people were registered for organ donation. In this camp, Prem Kumar Mittal, District Education Officer (Elementary), donated blood for the 127th time and also registered for organ donation.
He told the Deputy Commissioner that he had donated blood for the first time at the age of 18 and today, attaining the age of 52, the number has reached 127 times. The Deputy Commissioner especially honoured the District Education Officer as a source of inspiration for others. Harbans Singh, Secretary of the District Red Cross Branch, also donated blood and registered himself for the donation of organs.
Giving more detail, the Deputy Commissioner said that there is a misconception among people that donating blood causes weakness in the body, whereas donating blood does not cause any weakness, but every healthy person should donate blood once in 90 days. This helps the needy as well as keep the body healthy.
A noble cause like donating blood is of great humanitarian service. It needs to be made a mass movement because blood cannot be prepared from any medicine etc. but it can be donated by a person as per his/her wish. During the camp, Harbans Singh Secretary Red Cross made people aware of the activities being run by the Society like First Aid Training, Patient Care Attendant Service, Jan Aushadi Store Scheme, Oxygen Concentrator Bank facility etc.
Assistant Commissioner (J) Dr Ankita Kansal, Honorary Secretary of the District Red Cross Society, volunteers of Vishwas Foundation and a team of doctors from PGI were also present.