“The participation of youth in blood donation has increased by almost 20 per cent over the last ten years and it is steadily increasing. We need around 30-40 units of blood for every liver transplant, and we have many donors from IT companies who come forward immediately on short notices,” says N. Rajakumar, professor of Blood Transfusion Medicine, Government Stanley Hospital.
Agencies that conduct blood donation camps believe this awareness has much to do with the average age of an IT employee, which is around 25 years. “The employees are closely networked and most have contacts and friends working in other companies. This makes it easier for them to coordinate and arrange blood during emergencies,” says K. Purushothaman, Regional Director, NASSCOM.
The camps organised by IT companies need not necessarily coincide with the time that there is an emergency.
“We still face significant blood shortage during festival times,” says Sheela Ranganathan, Donor Support Manager, Jeevan Blood Bank adding that colleges are more flexible about such issues.
