Special bus in Mysore to encourage blood donors

MYSORE: As many as 163 volunteers have donated blood in the last three days as part of World Blood Donors' Day programme in Mysore.
An exclusive bus, designed to collect blood from volunteers, was in the city as part of the programme. The air-conditioned bus comprises four beds, laboratory, freezers and a restroom. It costs nearly Rs 2 crore.
District Aids Control Officer Dr T Raghukumar said the specially designed bus reached Mysore on Sunday.It has collected blood from volunteers in Nanjangud on Sunday, Mysore city on Monday and at Hunsur on Tuesday. "Blood Donors' Day is on June 14, but we have been directed by our higher-ups to commemorate the day when the bus reaches the respective districts. The hi-tech bus has been commissioned to motivate people to donate blood voluntarily," he said.
The theme of this year's campaign is 'Safe blood for saving mothers'. There have been many cases of women dying during pregnancy or due to childbirth-related complications in Karnataka. "It is learnt that severe bleeding during childbirth is the cause of high mortality among mothers-to-be or new mothers. The campaign aims at creating awareness that timely access to safe blood may prevent maternal deaths," he explained.
According to him, Karnataka requires 1,100 units of blood, while it is about 100 units for Mysore. "But we get only 80% units by volunteers -- replacement donors and voluntary donors," he added. Replacement donors are either the relatives or friends of patients.
The blood collected during the campaign will be sent to the district blood bank. The bus will visit two places, including a taluk, in each district and collect blood with assistance from local medical officers. So far, the bus has covered Bangalore, Ramanagar, Mandya and Chamarajanagar. Around 45 volunteers donated blood in Nanjangud on Sunday, Dr Raghukumar said.
Nursing college students and the members of an NGO took out an awareness rally. It was followed by a programme at Rajendra Bhavan in JSS hospital campus.
ZP CEO P A Gopal and DHO Puttaswamy were present.