A Correspondent
SHILLONG: East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Matsiewdor War Nongbri on Tuesday said that blood donation not only saves the lives of the patients who need blood but it can also save the lives of the donors because by donating blood in licensed blood banks they have the opportunity to know their own health status.
“It does not matter who is the blood donor or blood receiver; a donor can be a receiver and a receiver can be a healthy donor in the future,” she said. The Deputy Commissioner was speaking at the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day (NVBDD) function here on Tuesday.
War Nongbri also felt that to remove the fear psychosis prevailing in society that donating blood is detrimental to health, awareness programmes should be organized at village level in collaboration with VECs, village dorbar, NGOs and relevant agencies. War Nongbri also suggested that blood donation awareness programme should be held in government offices and educational institutions to successfully achieve the target of voluntary blood donation. The Deputy Commissioner also called upon Meghalaya Aids Control Society to explore options to collaborate with the District Disaster Management Agencies in the State so that precious lives could be saved during disasters.
War Nongbri also encouraged people of the State and voluntary blood donors to come forward and donate their blood in licensed blood banks. The Deputy Commissioner called upon the citizens to not donate blood only to relatives or friends but to voluntarily donate it for any human being through licensed blood banks so that one have adequate and quality assurance blood units in the blood banks.
Dr C Budnah, member Secretary, SBTC, Meghalaya, while presenting an overview of the Blood Transfusion Services in Meghalaya, informed that the State has eight licensed blood banks and six blood storage centres.