Emergency Wing
With most blood requests getting resolved at the helpline, this month the Emergency Wing received 15 blood requests. While some of these were resolved with basic counselling of patient’s relative, some took longer time and greater effort. Of these 7 blood requests were for negative groups, 3 for SDP/platelets, 8 were outstation and 3 for the rare Bombay Blood Group.
Project Disha
Disha awareness programme was taken to across Karnataka in the month of November, when personalized letters and publicity materials were sent to over 412 hospitals. These hospitals, belonging to the 30 districts of Karnataka, were recognized to be the most important ones where patients are present at the time of need of blood. The team had done a similar activity over two years earlier which had enhanced the blood requests the helpline received. Redoing the activity has ensured that the hospitals where the helpline stickers have been removed over the past two years due to renovation, painting, repair or other reasons, will get an opportunity to freshly avail the statewide blood helpline service to their patients.
Additionally, the blood bank of Baptist Hospital, Hebbal, Bangalore has been made a part of the helpline. This is likely to go along way in helping the Disha team to tackle the blood requests coming from North Bangalore in a much better way.
For the upcoming month, the team is planning to visit a few more blood banks and explore their possibility of networking them with the blood helpline. Volunteers are also planning to visit a few important government hospitals of Bangalore with the purpose of helpline awareness in places where blood is most required. The option of networking blood banks and storage centers outside Karnataka is also being explored.
Rakta Kranti
Sankalp organized 10 blood donation drives in November collecting 610 units. The month had some drives with poor turnout and gives us a lesson in better planning and publicity of blood donation drives.
i) Aegis- 6th blood donation camp was organized in Aegis, St John's road on 7th Nov. Turnout was very bad compared to past drives. Only 30 units were collected in the camp which generally sees a collection of 70-90 units. Drive being planned on a Saturday when other events were also scheduled in the company can be attributed as one of reasons for low turnout. Company is a BPO and many college students and young people came with a lot of enthusiasm for their first donation in the camp.
ii) BKIT- First Sankalp drive was organized in BKIT, Bidar on 9th November. As with other college drives, we had formed a team of dedicated volunteers and trained them to publicize and manage the drive. Hard work and dedication of the Team Red volunteers and the enthusiasm of the donors of Bheemanna Khandre Institute of Technology led to a wonderful camp of 104 units collection in the camp.
iii) Cessna Business Park- Sankalp with support from Umiya Builders organized a first drive for Umiya Towers in Cessna Business Park on 12th Nov, 2013. This also was a poor turnout drive considering only 36 units when towers have about 800 employees. A team of 2 volunteers went to ensure proper publicity of the camp is done throughout the day. One factor that can be a cause of low turnout was poor visibility of camp venue. Due to lack of space, this camp was organized in a vacant parking lot. This was away from the general public view. One specific volunteer for publicity also didn't proved to be much effective.
iv) DBS Bank- First drive was organized in DBS Bank on 13th Nov. Due to very less number of people expected; the camp was planned in Bowring Hospital Blood Bank. This was again a below expectation camp as many people who had earlier registered were on Block Leave on the camp day. 8 units were collected in the event.
v) Tata Power- After a series of camps with poor donor turnout, Tata Power came as a respite. Last camp was organized in Blood Mobile at this location. Due to unavailability of blood mobile, this time camp was planned in the company. A very good publicity of the camp ensured that all the employees were aware of not only the camp but also the basic eligibility criteria. A team of dedicated volunteers from company was present throughout the drive. Desk to desk publicity and donor motivation ensured a constant flow of donors. 101 units were collected in the event.
vi) Above Solutions- While approaching companies for camps, we always try to emphasize on letting us do a motivational talk before the camp. The camp at Above Solutions gives a good testimony to the importance of such talks. A talk was organized in the company few days before the camp. This helped remove certain doubts and misconceptions from potential donors. Result was an exceptional turnout. More than 50% employees from this small organization came forward to donate blood. However, there was a high percentage of deferrals, mostly due to low hb. 31 units were collected in the camp.
vii) Ascenders Club- On 23rd Nov, an in house camp was organized in Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health Blood Bank. This was organized with the support of a Facebook group called Ascenders Club. Good number of people had registered and most of them turned up for this noble cause. Sankalp also called some donors who had registered as emergency donors for this event. 25 units of blood were collected in the event.
viii) LSI- LSI organized a second blood donation drive on 27th Nov, 2013. The camp happens in 2 locations inside the same company. 2 blood banks were called for the event. A good support from company volunteers was there throughout the camp. These volunteers helped in pre donation and registration of donors. After donation, one of the roles of Sankalp volunteers is to give post donation advice to all the donors. However some donors tend to ignore the instruction. One such case happened in this camp where a donor felt dizziness in the cafeteria after climbing 4 floors on stairs. Such events show how important it is for blood banks to carry spinal boards. Due to unavailability of spinal board with both the blood banks, the donor had to be taken down on a wheel chair and later rested in a company medical room. Thankfully, donor recovered fully in sometime. Camp was very successful and 229 units were collected.
ix) Eka Software- A fourth blood drive was planned in Eka Software on 28th Nov. This drive was planned in the company after more than 2 years, last drive being in 2011. Again due to poor timing, turnout was less in the camp. Company had 50 people registered. However only 40 came to donate as many employees were busy in meeting due to client visit on the same day. 23 people were found eligible and donated blood in the event.
x) Citrus Hotel- A first blood donation drive was organized in Citrus Hotel on 30th Nov, 2013. All the employees were highly enthusiastic for the camp. A security guard who had fever came thrice to the camp and insisted on donating! 23 units were collected in the camp.