SHILLONG: Top government officials as well as the general public on Thursday came forward to donate blood on the occasion of National Voluntary Blood Donation Day as various programmes and blood donation camps were held by different organisations.
The Meghalaya AIDS Control Society, in collaboration with Jingiaseng Samla Balang Presbyterian, Mawlai Nongkwar, and Meghalaya State Blood Transfusion Council observed the Day at the premises of Presbyterian Church, Mawlai Nongkwar.
Dr R Allya, Project Director, Meghalaya AIDS Control Society, Dr C Budnah, Member Secretary, Meghalaya State Blood Transfusion Council, AMS Kharsati, Chairman, Jingiaseng Samla Balang Presbyterian, Mawlai Nongkwar, and its members, among others, were present on the occasion.
Health Secretary, Sampat Kumar, along with Shantanu Sharma, Joint Secretary, Community and Rural Development, and CEO, Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society, APD, Meghalaya Basin Development Authority, came forward to donate blood voluntarily as part of a blood donation camp.
Meanwhile, the blood donors’ groups who, notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic, donated blood when there was an acute shortage of donors, were felicitated in NEIGRIHMS.
The groups who were felicitated include the L&T group (construction workers), Seng Longkmie Demseiniong, Manipur and Arunachal Students’ Union, Hebron EFCI, and Zomi Baptist Youth Fellowship. Fifteen donors from these organisations also donated blood on the occasion, a statement issued here said here.
The theme of this year’s National Voluntary Blood Donation Day was ‘Let’s donate blood voluntarily and contribute to the fight against corona’. The campaign aims to encourage and motivate the people, especially the youth, to come forward voluntarily and donate blood and be a warrior in this fight against novel coronavirus. It also aims to highlight stories of people whose lives have been saved through blood donation as a way of motivating regular blood donors to continue giving blood.
Meanwhile, in Tura, a programme to mark the Day was jointly organised by Blood Bank, Tura Civil Hospital and Krima No IV BYF Group, in collaboration with Meghalaya AIDS Control Society and State Blood Transfusion Council, Shillong.
West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ram Singh, graced the occasion as the chief guest whilst Rev Frithing D Sangma attended the programme as the guest of honour.