In order to accelerate voluntary blood donation in Assam, Assam health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma flagged off five mobile blood collection vans here on Wednesday.
After flagging off the vans during a ceremony held at the premises of Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) at Khanapara, minister Sarma said that voluntary blood donation movement has to be strengthened in the state.
“Many organisations and individuals want to come forward and donate blood but due to lack of proper facilities they are not being able to do so. The mobile blood collection vans can go to the remotest of the remote places of the districts and collect blood. It is just a matter of phone call,” said Sarma.
The mobile blood collection vans will be stationed at four medical college and hospitals of the state and one district hospital.
The vans will be stationed at Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College Hospital in Barpeta; Assam Medical College & Hospital in Dibrugarh; Silchar Medical College & Hospital in Cachar; Tezpur Medical College & Hospital in Sonitpur and Bhogeshwari Phukanani Civil Hospital in Nagaon, stated a press communique.
Health minister Sarma also said, “At times it is seen that blood is not available in the hospitals and the poor patients cannot bring a replacement donor along with them. Therefore, these vans will be able to conduct awareness camps on blood donation and collect blood from the remote places which would ensure that there is sufficient blood in the blood banks.”
The minister further stated that the state government has already established seven new blood banks in the districts of Biswanath, Majuli, Baksa, Chirang, Udalguri, Kamrup (Sonapur Civil Hospital) and Cachar.
Sarma announced that blood banks will also be established in the newly carved districts of Charaideo, Hojai, South Salmara Mancachar and West Karbi Anglong.
Minister Sarma also informed that blood storage centres in 54 FRUs (First Referral Unit) would be upgraded to blood banks.
He appealed to the gathering to donate blood especially during his or her birthday.
Earlier, Commissioner & Secretary to the Assam government and project director of Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) Anurag Goel, while welcoming the participants, said, “To improve 100 per cent voluntary blood donation by motivating non-remunerated blood donors and phasing out all the replacement donors, mobile blood collection van is essential in every district which comprise of two donor couch for conducting outdoor voluntary blood donation camps and awareness on regular basis.”
The flag-off ceremony was also attended by principal secretary to health & family welfare, Samir Sinha; NHM mission director JVM Subramanium; director of health services Dr Rathin Bhuyan; director of family welfare, Assam, Mallika Medhi and director of medical education Dr Anup Barman.
The vans will move to different areas of the respective districts and conduct awareness and voluntary blood donation camps frequently so that the safest blood can be made available for 24×7 across the state, the communique added.