Date:25/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/25/stories/2007062556030300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Collector urges employees and students to donate blood

Staff Reporter

Nobel gesture: A doctor checking the blood pressure of an employee at a blood donation camp organised by the Zilla Parishad in Anantapur on Sunday.

ANANTAPUR: There will be no shortage of blood for emergency situations in the district if all Government employees, teachers and students are involved in blood donation movement, district Collector N. Sridhar said here on Sunday.

He asked them to donate blood at least once in a year.

Speaking at a mega blood donation camp organised by the Zilla Parishad, he said there are about 25,000 Government employees and 14,000 teachers in the district.

About 40,000 units of blood can be collected from them and stored in blood banks, he said.

The Collector said donation of blood is not only a humane gesture but also one of the best habits to be cultivated by youths. Steps should also be taken to organise such camps at the revenue division level too, he said.

The camp was inaugurated by local legislator B. Narayana Reddy. Zilla Parishad Chairperson T. Kavitha, Chief Executive Officer K. Sripathi Rao, Deputy CEO G. Jayapal Reddy, District Medical and Health Officer G. Thimma Reddy, several Mandal Parishad Development Officers, employees of MPDO offices, sarpanches, MPTC and ZPTC members, Mandal Parishad Presidents and others donated blood at the camp.

Blood collection teams from the General Hospital collected blood.