Date:01/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/01/stories/2008100160900400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Governor for setting up more blood banks

Staff Reporter

Calls for safe and appropriate clinical use of blood and blood products

— Photo: A.Muralitharan

Governor Surjit Singh Barnala presenting the Best Blood Bank in Chennai City Award to representatives of the Institute of Child Health, Egmore, on Tuesday. Health Secretary V.K.Subburaj and Health Minister M.R.K.Panneerselvam are in the picture.

CHENNAI: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala on Tuesday said easy access to blood could be achieved only through government, private and non-governmental partnership.

Speaking at the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day celebrations here, he said there was a need for increasing the number of blood banks as mere collection of blood would not suffice.

He said the workforce in the public and private sectors, government employees and students should be motivated to donate blood. Groups of voluntary blood donors must be formed, he added.

Mr. Barnala said safe and appropriate clinical use of blood and blood products was the need of the hour, adding that more blood components separation units could be set up, leading to reduction of wastage.

He presented awards to blood donors, blood banks, government hospitals and to donor organisations. Special awards were presented to individuals for organising voluntary blood donor camps at the function organised at Raj Bhavan by Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society, Tamil Nadu State Blood Transfusion Council and Chennai Corporation AIDS Prevention and Control Society.

Model State

Health Minister M.R.K.Panneerselvam, said Tamil Nadu was a model State as far as voluntary blood donation was concerned. Voluntary blood donation had increased from 50.6 to 82 per cent.

Health Secretary V.K.Subburaj said efforts were being taken to increase the number of blood storage centres in the government sector. Primary health centres were being included as blood storage centres. In the government sector, there were 83 blood banks and 63 storage centres, he said.

Mayor M. Subramanian, Project Director of Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society Supriya Sahu and Project Director of Chennai Corporation AIDS Prevention and Control Society Anju George spoke.