National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is celebrated in India on 1st of October every year to share the need and importance of the blood in the life of an individual. It was first started celebrating on 1st of October in the year 1975 through the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohaematology.
Sankalp India Foundation had taken the opportunity to celebrate the event by organizing blood donation drives on the 29th and 30th of September, 2016 at ITPB. Just to remind our readers, Sankalp started the rich tradition of organizing large blood donation drives with multiple collection teams at ITPB way back in 2007. More than 8000 units have been collected in 30+ drives thanks to the commitment shown by Ascendas and Applied Materials, our partners for these events. This time the event was themed on National Voluntary Blood Donors Day. Thanks to Ascendas and Applied Materials for joining hands with Sankalp to spread the awareness about the importance of Voluntary Blood Donation and making the drive a successful one. 225 units of Blood were collected in the two day drive.
Time and again it has been reiterated in relevant forums that the safest blood donor is the one who donates voluntarily with his own free will and without the expectation of any benefit - monetary or otherwise. Voluntary Blood Donors are saviors of mankind. The significance of observing a day like the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is to mobilize voluntary blood donors by motivating, stimulating and encouraging them to donate blood and even be a healthy person. It aims at inspiring those who have not donated blood, but are in good health, to start donating blood. It is also to inspire those donors who donate blood only for their relatives or friends, to donate blood voluntarily. The day is also celebrated to give our thanks and reinforce the self-esteem of those who donate blood voluntarily, so that they continue to do so regularly. This message has to be conveyed to a large number of people, so that Voluntary Blood Donation becomes a mass movement.
Transfusing or donating blood or its components to the needy person has become a very integral part of the humanity in the modern health care system. It does not matter who the blood donor or the receiver is. It must always be remembered - Today’s Donor can be tomorrow’s recipient! Hence, voluntarily donating blood without any expectation is the vital part of the life saving process.
ITPB has always been supporting Sankalp to ensure that people are made aware of the Voluntary Blood Donation Campaign. The Volunteers of Sankalp India Foundation, definitely felt connected and overwhelmed when some of the donors turned out and said- “ Thank You! I had started donating blood at ITPL in the camps of Sankalp and have become regular donors now at the camps conducted by Sankalp every three months once. The best part is we receive messages on the previous day of the Camp that motivate us to find some time out in the busy schedule and ensure that we donate blood.” Sankalp blood donation drives are known for the onus it lays on quality and donor satisfaction and such a change is a real inspiration to the team. There have been several instances when donors look at the queue and vow to come back. A while later when such donors come back again, they are stunned to see that the numbers have only swelled and just join in to patiently wait for their chance. Such is the spirit of the voluntary blood donor.
10+ years, 800+drives and nearly 80,000 units after we started Rakta Kranti we believe that the chnage is on the horizon. The change is gradually happening and it is evolutionary. Sankalp’s motto – “Let’s give life a better chance!” is on the go and shall inspire many more to join the movement. It is necessary to celebrate this day at a great level to remove the ignorance, fear and misconceptions of the general public towards the voluntary blood donation campaign. This day is a tribute to the undying spirit of a voluntary blood donor.