Briefing newspersons here on Wednesday, foundation medical director Vijay Shah, advisor Subroto Das and management consultant J C Shukla said a voluntary donor at any of the 19 networked banks would be guaranteed two units of blood of any blood group for four members of his family for a year at any of the networked centres free of charge. Of the centres, 18 are in different parts of the State and one is in Mumbai. A donor's card bearing contact numbers is issued under the scheme to every donor.

Discussions with about other 40 government and charitable trust run banks in Gujarat were on in the context and might also be networked soon, the representatives said. There was a similar scheme for groups and companies 50 per cent of whose employees donated blood at least once, they added. The Haalol-based General Motors is the first beneficiary under the scheme.

The representatives said that government and private hospitals had been informed about the scheme -- which has been running on a trial basis for the past two months -- and asked to use the services of the networked banks in case they come across any patient having the said donor's card during emergencies such as train or road mishaps.

According to the representatives, the Foundation is also likely to involve some units at Kota (Rajasthan) and Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh). A full-fledged office at Ahmedabad is being opened which would have mobile numbers of donors, while a team of health awareness managers is already spreading awareness about blood donation in the country.

``The situation pertaining to blood donation and collection in the entire country is different from Western countries which already have such schemes and hence do not face a crisis. People ought to donate blood regularly, which is the only solution to the blood shortage'', Shah said.