Commending blood donation and hailing blood donors as heroes who saved several lives, Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao has honoured organisations and educational institutions, including the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) for organising blood donation camps during 2018.
Addressing the function organised by the blood bank unit at the Government District Headquarters Hospital and the district branch of Tamil Nadu State Aids Control Society (TNSACS), Mr. Rao said blood donors were life savers and congratulated organisations, institutions and colleges which organised blood donation camps.
The function was also organised to celebrate the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day, which falls on October 1 to recognise and commemorate the contribution made by Dr. Jai Gopal Jolly, the founder of the blood bank society and S. Ayappan, a forerunner in organising blood donation camps.
He said 74 blood donation camps were organised during 2018 and all those who had organised the camps were honoured with shields at the function. Of the 74 camps, he had coordinated in organising 55 camps.
He said all the donors were screened for HIV, Malaria, Hepatitis C and B and Venereal diseases before they were allowed to donate blood.
IRCS, Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath, Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, INS Parundu, the Indian Naval Air Station, Mandapam Station of Indian Coast Guard and Anna University Engineering College were among the institutions honoured at the function for organising blood donation camps, he said.
Joint Director (health services) P. Venkatachalam, Deputy Director (public health) P .Kumaragurubaran, Government Hospital Superintendent P. K. Jawaharlal, Dr. T. Aravindraj, Dr. K. Joseph Rajan and S. Somasundraram, Principal, Mohamed Sathak Dasthagir Teacher Training College were among others present at the function.
