Residents of a small fishing hamlet at Navi Bander, some 35 kms from Porbandar city, recently organised a blood donation camp for children suffering from thalassemia.

All members of the 35 families, besides 55 couples and several others, donated blood.

But due to the insufficient blood storage facility, some 1,500 donors were turned back, though their names were registered in the donor list. Organisers told them to donate blood in the future.

Pravin Kishor, president of the Navi-Bander Kharwa (fishermen) community said: “The idea to organise a blood donation camp was floated in a community meeting which was widely welcomed and implemented along with the religious celebration at Navi-Bander.”

He said they received overwhelming support from the community members.

The programme was organised in the backdrop of the ongoing religious function at the village.

“In fact, limited blood storage capacity forced us to stop collecting the blood, otherwise the figures would have been much higher,” he added.

Kishor said the blood collected was donated to the Porbandar-based Aasha Hospital, which provides blood free of charge to children suffering from thalassemia.

He further said that the programme was organised with the support of Manavata Parivar – an NGO. Karsanbhai Salet, a Porbandar-based businessman, had provided financial assistance for organising the camp.

During this event, community men and women also took oath to donate blood in the future, Kishor said.