Along with the whole nation, National Voluntary Blood Donation Day 2018 was celebrated in Agartala on Monday aiming to create awareness for safe blood donation.
On the occasion, a colourful programme was organized at the Rabindra Centenary Hall in which hundreds of students from various schools and teachers of various religions took part.
Beside them, Tripura Health and Family Welfare Minister Sudip Roy Barman and former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who at present is the Opposition Leader of the House, were also there to motivate the youths towards voluntary blood donation.
While Sarkar viewed that blood donation is one of the most humanitarian contributions by an individual, the State Health Minister sang a song to motivate youths to take part in blood donation and thus save human lives.
Barman, however, expressed his worry about the growing menace due to the increase of injectable drugs users adding to the HIV positive cases in the State.
The significance of observance of this day is to mobilize potential voluntary blood donors for safe, sufficient and continuous blood supply to prevent blood shortages, for all those in need.
This year’s theme ‘Happiness in Donating Blood’ focuses on saving lives by creating awareness about the availability, protection and proper use of blood and blood products.
The objectives of celebrating the day are aimed at removing the ignorance, fear, and misconceptions associated with the voluntary blood donation campaign and to encourage the students, youths of colleges, institutions, clubs, and NGOs to come forward and donate blood to save lives.
This year’s focus was to ensure access to safe blood transfusions for safer and increased voluntary blood donation resulting in the availability of safe blood across the year.
Moreover, by donating blood the donor also comes to know the absence of certain diseases as it is mandatory screening through the advanced testing techniques like nucleic acid testing, for HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis-B, Hepatitis-C, malaria etc.
With 93 per cent of voluntary blood donors, Tripura is not only the highest among the north-eastern states but also among the top four at the national level voluntary level blood donors.