Workshop on `Safe Blood Donation'

allahabad: there is no substitute for the `wonder fluid-blood' and that the people should be motivated towards donating it on an voluntary basis. this was sated by prof. g.k. mehta, vice chancellor of the allahabad university while speaking as chief guest at the workshop `safe blood for all' organised by the voluntary blood donors forum (vbdf) here on tuesday.sponsored by the u.p. state aids control society, lucknow, the event was aimed at highlighting various issues related to safe blood donations and the negative aspects of commercialisation of the noble act. dr u s sinha, principal mln medical college, while addressing the gathering on the occasion said that voluntary donation of the precious life saving fluid should be referred as a movement towards humanity instead of a mere noble act and that the adequate awareness among the masses should be created towards the cause. on the occasion, sinha applauded the efforts of 200 junior doctors of the mln medical college, who donated their blood on the occasion of world blood donation day. meanwhile dr v l ray, head of department of medicine (tranfusion) in her keynote address emphasized on the safe donation of blood and that lack of awareness about blood donation was a major drawback in masses contributing towards the cause. according to her, much in contrast to a country like india, the neighbouring less developed contries like bangladesh etc., showed a steep rise in their blood donation graphs and that blood banks in the country on an average had half the number of strength, required to be maintained by the banks. she also said that due to accute shortage of funds, the required laboratories could not be setup for seperation of blood components required in innumerable cases of emergencies. chief medical officer (cmo) s p ram, on the occasion, said that the demand for blood was many more times than its procurement rate in the district. according to him, the two blood banks of the district had an average supply of 250 units per day against the demand of about 1500 units per day. a scientific session was also held on the topic `achieving 100 percent voluntary blood donation'. renowned skin specialist dr shakti basu, while expressing his views on the topic, dealt at length on the risk involved by indulging in unsafe blood donation, primarily of diseases like hepatitis and aids.