Martyrs’ kin, artists join hands to collect 90,000 units of blood

Tribune News Service

Advertisement

Jalandhar, December 12

The National Integrated Forum of Artists and Activists (NIFAA) started ‘Samvedna’ an international blood and plasma donation awareness campaign. The campaing aims to set up 1,500 blood donation camps across the country and gather 90,000 units of blood on the 90th martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, on March 23.

Pritpal Singh Pannu, chairman of NIFAA, said apart from the families of all three martyrs, including Abhay Singh Sandu, nephew of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Satyasheel Rajguru, nephew of Shaheed Rajguru, and Anuj Thapar grandson of Shaheed Sukhdev, will be part of the campaign. Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, too, has joined the campaign and certicificates with digital signatures of celebrities would be provided to donors.

In India, blood donations have drastically diminished due to the implementation of social distancing, cancellation of various blood drives and low donor turnout due to fears associated with the Covid-19. This disruption has impacted accessibility of blood for emergency surgeries, thalassaemia, sickle-cell disease and cancer patients. —Pritpal Singh Pannu, Chairman, NIFAA

Pannu said, “In the last few years, the country has seen an improvement in blood assortment ranging from 9.8 million units in 2012-13 to 11.45 million in 2017-18. Despite this, India gazes at blood shortage of a whopping 1.95 million units per year. Several myths keep individuals at bay from donating the blood.”

He said, “In India, blood donations have drastically diminished due to the implementation of social distancing, cancellation of various blood drives and low donor turnout due to fears associated with catching disease from hospitals and blood banks. Despite the massive burden of trauma and surgeries in the current situation, several hospitals in almost all the states and the union territories have been struggling to meet the daily requirements of blood in the past few months. This disruption has impacted accessibility of blood for emergency surgeries, postpartum hemorrhage cases, thalassemia, sickle-cell disease, and cancer patients.”

Launched as a nation-wide blood donation campaign, ‘Samvedna’ has also received support from Non-Resident Indians and now it would also be organised in the United States, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, UAE and Fiji. NRIs will donate on the same day to pay homage to the martyrdom of the three martyrs.

Pannu said a dedicated website and mobile app would be launched.

List of all blood donors of India would be available on both options and any one in need of blood would be able to find out a volunteer donor by searching the city and blood group in the app.

Parvesh Gaba, general secretary, NIFAA, said they wouod join hands with other social organisations to carry forward this campaign and furthermore incorporate other incredible personalities of the country.

This campaign after effectively coordinated will also be included in the Guinness Book of World Records with the goal that this campaign of India should be discussed globally and becomes a beginning of the awareness of blood donation not only in India but all over the world.

The city-based social workers associated with blood donation, including prominent social activist Sukhdev Singh, Jagmohan Chawla of the Ma Bhagwati Sewa Samiti, Jatinder Singh and Manpreet Singh of the Akhri Ummeed Welfare Society, Sukhjit Singh, Manish from the Blood Donors Welfare Society, Shivam Arora and Harshdeep of the Life Line Welfare Society also attended this meet.