To create awareness on thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia and to reach out to a maximum number of donors, a mobile blood bank of the AS Raja Voluntary Blood Bank was launched by Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah here on Friday.
The van with tailor-made specifications is a four-year-old dream project of the Blood Bank. It can accommodate two donors at a time where the pre-tests can be carried out in the van itself. There is also a blood storage facility in the vehicle.
Main reasonAmong the tribal population, the incidence of thalassemia is 17 to 20 per cent. Keeping in view the growing number of cases and with an aim to reach out to rural population, medical director of the blood bank A. Sugandhi has taken up the initiative of the mobile blood bank. “Not many are aware of the fact that the blood disorder is caused by a defect in a single gene. Unfortunately, consanguineous marriage is one of the reasons to be blamed for the life-threatening disorder. Today, on an average, a child with thalassemia needs two units of blood every month,” said Dr. Sugandhi.
Unable to meet the shortage of blood units across the district, the bank now focuses on creating awareness among the general public. Appreciating the thoughtful initiative, Mr. Rosaiah said: “It’s important to know about the disorder and take all the precautionary measures to control the same. This can be made possible by reaching out to more number of people and educating them on the subject. I hope with this kind of mobile service, voluntary donors will come forward to donate blood and help the needy.”
Gastroenterologist Siva Prasad, staff of the blood bank along with a host of other invitees attended the inaugural programme.
