HimVani
Shimla: Hospitals in Shimla have been facing severe shortage of blood, but a collective effort made by voluntary organizations like Voice of Himachal (VOH), Umang Foundation for Thalassemic Children and Youth Enlightening the Society (YES) and also the State AIDS Control Society in holding a blood donation camp at the Ridge has once again reiterated that mass movement is the only way out to tackle the problem.
Ninety units of blood were donation at the camp, with many tourists, including students from Chandigarh and Punjab. too pitching in for the cause. Participants included nine women and 41 first-time donors.
“We are happy that the tourists utilized their holidays well enough to contribute towards common good,” said VOH general secretary Varun Rattan Singh, Umang president Ajai Srivastava and YES president Akarshaan Chauhan, in a joint statement issued here. Project Director, HP State AIDS Control Society, Dr Sulaxna Puri said people should be made aware of the seriousness of blood shortage in hospitals to make them volunteer for the good cause.
To initiate quick response to blood shortage in the future, VOH also launched an online registration facility for voluntary blood donors on their website www.himvani.com to create an online database that would be available online and can be used by anyone at anytime.
In another camp held in Kasumpti area of Shimla, religious organizations responded to the call of blood shortage at IGMCH and collected 26 units of blood, said Balram Sharma organizer of the camp.
“Blood Bank at the IGMC hospital is reeling under severe shortage of blood and such initiatives by the society are very helpful in meeting the shortage”, said Dr. M.L. Kaushal, in-charge of blood bank at IGMCH. A total of 116 unit was replenished to IGMCH Blood Bank.
