Indian District Red Cross Society on Sunday organised a function to honour blood donors and organizations, who have organised voluntarily blood donation camps under the auspices of Red Cross Regional Blood Bank, Ludhiana, during last one year. Thirty five organizations and 10 donors were honored at the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sat Pal Sharma, Civil Surgeon, said that donating blood could save the precious lives and stressed upon the need to promote noble cause of voluntary blood donation. He said people needed to understand the importance of blood donation and come forward to donate blood.

AK Sharma, Deputy Director, Small Savings-cum-Honorary Secretary, District Red Cross Society, said that message has to be conveyed to a large number of people, so that voluntary blood donation could become a mass movement.

He said the Red Cross Regional Blood became operational during 1983 and was equipped with modern machinery. This bank was started with a view to feeding the local hospitals in the entire district and adjoining Ropar, Hoshiarpur and Moga. Our blood collecting team has been going to far off places such Budhlada, Mansa, Sardoolgarh, Bhatinda, Nawanshehar, Mukatsar etc. for collecting the blood. He said that regional blood bank organised a total of 41 camps and 2140 blood units were collected during camps held from April 1, 08 to March 31, 2009.

Sharma said the Red Cross branch was running Bal Bhawan at Sarabha Nagar. This institution accommodates healthy children of laprosy parents and poor children from all over the Punjab. They are provided free boarding, lodging, education facility and medical care. At present, there are 78 children at this home. He also said that Senior Citizens Home which was started in 1982 was a unique initiative, aimed at providing graceful life to these men or women who suffer from problems of old age and loneliness.

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