Vizianagaram: Blood Donation

Response on Voluntary Blood Donation - DAPCU-Vizianagaram,

 Andhra Pradesh

1.      What is the significance of the Voluntary Blood Donation?

One must donate blood to save lives, There is no substitute for blood, and nobody can produce or manufacture it anywhere.  Hence it is very precious and essential in human life.  Donating blood does not harm the body and it recovers in three months time naturally but people have myths and misconceptions about donating blood.  As such, we are unable to get sufficient blood donated as per our population requirements.  Youth has that much more potentiality and opportunity to donate blood regularly and they need to be motivated from the childhood and their parents too.

Voluntary Blood Donation is best in Blood Donation activity because there is a chance to transmit HIV and other life threatening diseases through Blood. When a person comes voluntarily for Blood Donation he will donate blood, only when he is healthy and he himself is sure that he does not have any risk previously.  This helps us to prevent transmission of diseases and promote non remunerated blood donations.   

2.      How did you observe this day at the district level?  What was unique about your programme?

District AIDS Prevention & Control Unit organized National Voluntary Blood Donors Day event at Vizianagaram on 1^st October 2012.   The huge rally was inaugurated by Sri. M. Rama Rao Additional Joint Collector and He flagged of the rally at RTC Complex Vizianagaram and the rally went to DM & HO office.  

Dr. T.Rama Rao Addl. District Medical & Health Officer, (AIDS & Leprosy) facilitated the Programme by involving staff of NLEP Programme, NGOs, Nursing Colleges, Women & Child Welfare Department and DAPCU.  Sri.M. Rama Rao Additional Joint Collector addressed the gathering at DM & HO Office and spoke about importance of Voluntary Blood Donation. 

We felicitated the regular Blood Donors who donated blood more than 30 times and Institutions for encouraging them to inspire others in Blood Donation.

District Programme Manager & DIS coordinated with NGOs and other institutions and mobilized Camps according to that Action Plan.  NGOs and Educational Institutions

Outcome of the event:

Date	Place of the Camp	Blood Donation Camp Organized By	No.of Participants	No.of units collected
2.10.2012	M.R.College Gorunds, VZM	Blood Bank Dist.Hospital,VZM	69	69
5.10.2012	Swami Vivekanada College, Bobbili	Blood Bank Dist.Hospital,VZM	150	69
8.10.2012	JNTU Engineering college	Blood Bank Dist.Hospital,VZM	140	72
27.10.2012	Police Taraining College, Vizianagaram	Blood Bank Dist.Hospital,VZM	91	91
1.10.2012	Mesanic Tample,Vizianagaram	Y.S.R.C Mega Camp &IRCS	54	54
4.10.2012	Satya Degree College,Vizianagaram	NSS & NCC Unit Statya Degree College, Vizianagaram	100	55
13.10.2012	Liouns Community Hall, Parvathipuram	B.N.B.Raju(Teacher) & IRCS	150	100
17.10.2012	Govt.Degree College,Saluru	NSS & NCC Unit Govt. Degree College, Saluru	91	91
17.10.2012	Police Training College, Vizianagaram	IRCS,Vizianagaram	100	37
21.10.2012	Nandham(V),Gantyada(M), Vizianagaram Dist	Rama Krishna(teacher) & IRCS	50	14
21.10.2012	Police Training College, Chipurupalli	IRCS,Vizianagaram	70	26
13.102012	Liouns Community Hall, Parvathipuram	IRCS,Parvathipuram	200	165
26.10.2012	Funcation Hall,Near Lakshmi Ganpathi Theactor	IRCS,Parvathipuram	50	25
Total			1315	868

  

3.      What are few challenges faced by you getting voluntary blood donors and how did you overcome it?  VBD camps is one of the strategies used, what other strategies have you tried in your district?

Challenges:

·         Myths & Misconceptions on Blood Donation

·         Rural back ground and low literacy levels in the district

·         No component separation unit in the district (Donors interested to donate blood where BCSU is available.

·         Less pro active approach in Govt. Blood Bank due to less staff

·         No Blood motivators in Govt. Blood Bank

·    Donations are less from students in Holidays, Exams time and Summer time (Majority Voluntary Blood donations are given by Students only)

·         DAPCU need capacities in Blood Safety component

Strategies to overcome:

·        DAPCU formed 145 Red Ribbon Clubs in juniors &  Degree colleges to promote Voluntary Blood Donation and reducing Myths Misconceptions in the public through RRCs.

·         Encouraging youth clubs in rural areas for getting VBD through NYK and Link Workers Programme.

·         As per the need of Blood Motivator DAPCU requested DM & HO to depute on Assistant Para Medical Officer to Blood Bank especially for motivating donors and DM & HO deputed and He is in now working at Blood Bank and He goes to Colleges and other institutions three day in a week for conducting classes on VBD.

·         We keep some fixed Blood Donation camps which are organized by individuals for holidays and summer time.

·      APSACS sent well designed certificates for Blood Donors and it has sign of PD, SACS which attracts donors.

·     We circulated a DO letter to all Educational Institutions for VBD which was signed by District Collector