Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 01 2010:
The State Red Cross Society in collaoration with MACS organised Voluntary Blood Donation Camp at RIMS, today.During the Camp, State Blood Coordinator of State Red Cross Society, Kh Jadu said that awareness and motivation is crucial for more people to come out and donate blood.
The Society organises four blood donation camps a year and has units in six districts of the stte to conduct awareness and mobilise donors.
Encouraging voluntary blood donation, ten donors were chosen through lottery and presented a music system each.
The prizes were distributed by Superintendent of RIMS, Prof Y Mohen and General Secretary of Indian Red Cross Society, Manipur Branch, Dr M Lala.
About 160 volunteers donated blood at the blood donation camp held at RIMS.
A total of 170 people including 43 women donated blood today in a blood donation camp held at the central hall of DM College of Arts, organized under the aegis of Association of Voluntary Blood Donors, Manipur, as part of the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day.
People who donated blood today were students and faculty members of DM College of Arts, Commerce and Sciences.
Some students from other institutes also donated blood on the occasion.
Giving the key note address in the camp, Dr L Tomcha, president of the organizing body, expressed concerned over the lack of awareness in the people on the importance of blood donation in the state stating that only 10 percent of required blood comes from voluntary donors.
The rate is also very low compared with other states in the country.
As a result of this meager quantity of odnated blood, people who needed blood have to buy from other people or from family members, he added.
Among the states of the northeastern region, Tripura has the highest number voluntary blood donors which was indicated by the fact that 93 percent of the blood required in the hospitals of the state were received from voluntary blood donors.
At the national level, the contribution voluntary blood was 56 percent, he added.