We asked one of the BDO Volunteers to tell us something about today's blood requests. She stared back at us, and then at her mobile phone, and then uttered the words -"Chal Rahe Hain!" This is what grossly summarizes the day – 10th December 2008 for our emergency wing.
Motivating donors to become regular voluntary blood donors is one way to achieve 100% voluntary blood donation. But in the process, emergency blood requests are bound to turn up and Sankalp volunteers are always on their toes to attend to emergency blood requests. The last hope for a patient is an emergency donation. This is done when the request is of absolutely critical level and the blood is not available in the rest of the city (particularly the rare groups, Apheresis units, and the seasonal shortage of even common groups).
One of the many amazing things about the pride of Bangalore - the Indian Institute of Science is that the students of this prestigious institutes have never thought twice before helping a person in need. The very special relationship that we share with the Student’s Council of IISc has in the past ensured that many critical blood requests were fulfilled on time.
The next day after blood donation drive at a campus like ITPB, Emergency wing got a blood request for 1 unit of B -ve whole blood/packed cells at night. The patient was admitted to M.S.Ramaiah new Hospital and was to undergo kidney transplant. They had already called 1062 and other blood banks in the city, but in vain. Again it was rechecked by the volunteers, but it was the same reply again.
Emergency Wing:
There were 8 blood requests in the previous week. Because of good stocks in the city, known through CTC Disha, most of the blood requests were fulfilled by calling either 1062 or other blood banks in the city. Out of these requests, one of them was for single donor platelets Apheresis and other for Bombay group.
The fresh batch of students has arrived at IISc and it was time for Sankalp to bring them into the organization.
When the existing system fails to find blood for someone, they step in. They are the blood search experts, always updating themselves to be able to find blood anywhere - anytime.
