NEW DELHI, June 21: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today exhorted the youth of the country to come forward and voluntarily donate blood.
Speaking here at a function to honour the donors and organisers of blood camps organised by the Indian Red Cross Society, Mr Azad said, ‘The blood donors are the real heroes of our society.’
Congratulating the voluntary donors, he said the act of donating blood depicted both humanism and nationalism, an official statement said.
‘It is an act which bonds societies and communities,’ Mr Azad maintained.
He honoured nine voluntary blood donors who have donated blood more than 75 times, and 11 organisations which have organised between 100-3000 blood donation camps during the past year.
The Health Minister also mentioned that the demand for blood has gone up in the past few years, whereas the supply to meet these increasing demands is yet not commensurate.
‘There was thus need for more citizens and youth engaging in voluntary blood donation and more blood camps,’ he stated.
The Minister further stated that as the new centres for early detection of cancer, cardio-vascular diseases will start operating and owing to the increasing medical tourism in the country, the demand for blood is likely to increase further.
He also complemented the efforts of the Indian Red Cross Society, several voluntary organisations and blood donors, and NACO for ceaselessly working towards this aim.
Also speaking at the occasion Additional Secretary, NACO Anuradha Johri said as against the demand for 1.14 crore units of blood, estimated on the basis of the current population only 93.32 lakh units of blood was being collected in the country annually, which has resulted in saving the lives of about 92 lakh patients.
She further stated that the collection of blood by NACO has increased by 12 per cent during 2011-2012 over the previous year.
NACO organised 7000 blood camps last year, she noted.
The demand for blood has escalated due to increased number of surgeries and transfusions and often by reckless and unnecessary use of blood, she observed.
‘There was thus the need for sensitising the users of blood, hospitals and doctors towards responsible and rational use of blood which can save so many more lives,’ she said.
She said NACO has been undertaking several awareness campaigns towards this aim.
The Blood Donation Mobile centres of NACO have helped to organise 15,000 blood donation camps last year, she informed the gathering.
Ghulam Nabi Azad was the Chief Guest at the function organsied by the Indian Red Cross Society at the culmination of the World Blood Donation Week, which started on June 14, designated as the World Blood Donor Day.
Mr Azad also felicitated several centurion blood donors. (UNI)
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