On the occasion of the 72nd Birthday of PM Narendra Modi, Rakhtdan Amrit Mahotsav, a blood donation campaign commenced on Saturday.

“Blood donation is a noble cause and given our rich culture and tradition of Seva and Sahyog, I urge and appeal to all citizens to come forward and donate blood as part of the countrywide mega voluntary blood donation 15-day drive- Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav. Donating blood not just fulfils the national requirement but also is a great service to society & humanity”. This was stated by Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya while donating blood at the blood donation camp at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi today.

Accentuating the importance of voluntary blood donation, Union Health Minister said, “Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav is part of bigger celebrations of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The campaign aims to increase awareness regarding regular non-remunerated voluntary blood donations and ensure that blood or its components (whole blood/ packed red blood cells/plasma/platelets) are available, accessible, affordable and safe.”

As per 2021 statistics, India’s annual requirement is around 1.5 Cr units. In every two seconds, someone in India needs blood and one out of every three of us will need blood in our lifetime, he stated. “Despite the technological advancements, there remains no alternative to blood and 1 unit of blood can save as many as three lives, Dr Mandaviya noted.

Dr Mandaviya met the donors at the blood donation camp and appreciated their selfless act of donating blood. Removing myths surrounding blood donation, Dr Mandaviya stated that “A person has 5 – 6 litres of blood in their body and can donate blood every 90 days (3 months).” The body can recover blood very quickly; blood plasma volume within 24 – 48 hours, red blood cells in about 3 weeks, and platelets & white blood cells within minutes.

Registrations for the ‘Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav’ have begun on the Aarogya Setu app and e-Raktkosh portal as part of a mega voluntary blood donation drive planned across the country from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17 till October 1. The nationwide drive is supported by the centralised blood bank management information system called, the E-Rakt Kosh portal, which will act as a national repository of blood donors. This will ensure a robust record of blood donors and will expedite blood availability when in need.

Link for E-Rakt Kosh Portal:

https://www.eraktkosh.in/BLDAHIMS/bloodbank/transactions/bbpublicindex.html

Dr Mandaviya also released the book “Footprints on the Sands of Time” showcasing the contributions of Safdarjung Hospital toward India’s healthcare.

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