Red Cross Society gets Govt. support to start blood banks in all districts

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, OCT. 1. The State Government has offered its complete support to the plans of the A.P. branch of Indian Red Cross Society to start blood banks in all district headquarter towns soon.

It has asked District Collectors to allot sites for the blood bank buildings while the AP State AIDS Control Society (APSAICS) has offered to provide consumables for all these banks. The Red Cross is presently running three blood banks in the State.

This was stated by the Health Minister, Dr. S. Aruna, and the Director of the Society, Mr. K. Chandramouli, at a camp organised to mark the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day here today.

Earlier, the Governor, Dr. C. Rangarajan, flagged off a rally of NCC and NSS volunteers from Raj Bhavan while his wife, Mrs. Haripriya, released a brochure appealing to `donate blood and save life'. Addressing the students, the Governor said there were 146 licenced blood banks in the State where volunteers could donate blood upto three to four times a year to help the needy.

Holding aloft placards appealing to people to donate blood, the rallyists marched from Raj Bhavan to Somajiguda and then on to Khairatabad to participate in the camp which was jointly organised by APSAICS and the public sector Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL).

Dr. Aruna said the days were gone when blood was tested in a casual manner after drawing from professionals. Now-a-days, 80 per cent of the blood was received from volunteers and tested for Hepatitis `B' and `C' viruses besides HIV and other communicable diseases before transfusion.

The APSAICS Director said the blood requirement of hospitals in the State was two lakh units but only 1.6 lakh units was being generated through donations. It was, therefore, essential that more people volunteered to donate blood.

Dr. Rajyalakshmi, Director of the Red Cross Society's blood banks, said it augured well that housewives were coming forward to give blood. She said the Red Cross wished to build a pool of voluntary blood donors. Mr. K.S. Rao of HLL said every citizen should donate blood at least once a year. Dr. Ramana Rao, Joint Director, APSAICS, proposed a vote of thanks.

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Section  : Southern States
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