The Department of Transfusion Medicine at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC&H) organised a voluntary blood donation camp with the help of Malwa Sports Club Fatta Malooka, Mansa, in which 119 units of blood were collected. Jaswinder Singh, president of the society, and Ishar Singh and other members of the club put in their hard work to organise the blood donation camp.

In the camp, Dr Rajesh Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Transfusion Medicine threw light on myths and facts related to blood donation. He said any person between the age of 18 and 60 years, weighing more than 45 kg, was eligible for donation provided he has not suffered from any infectious diseases like typhoid, TB, hepatitis, AIDS, STD and cancer.

Dr Amarjit Kaur, Professor and Head, Department of Transfusion Medicine, said that awareness about voluntary blood donation was very important. “If we compare with the developed countries, we are lacking far behind. In India people from backward areas still have lots and lots of superstitions and myths regarding blood donation,” she said.

“For this, we all doctors go to NGOs, colleges, institutions, villages and industries for the voluntary blood donation because our aim is to get safe blood. This can be achieved only if we increase the voluntary donation rather than replacement donation,” she said.