World Blood Donor Day 2020 Says Safe Blood Saves Life

Every year June 14 is observed as the World Blood Donor Day but this year, it is going to be very special because COVId-19 has made voluntary blood donation a difficult task. It has added one more screening test for the blood.

The World Blood Donor Day 2020

The theme for this year is “safe blood saves life” and health experts and patient advocacy groups have come together to promote blood donation and stressed on the safety aspect of blood donation especially when it has become scarce amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Harsh Vardhan appealed for blood donation

Union Health Minister appealed to voluntary organizations, NGOs and people at large to come forward and donate blood so that the country has ample stock of blood to meet any eventuality. According to WHO, there were 11.6 million unpaid blood donations from 2008 to 2015. It said that 78 countries collected over 90% of their blood supply from voluntary unpaid blood donors. And 58 countries got supplies from family/replacement or paid donors.

Shortage of blood in India

Professor K. Srinath Reddy, the president of Public Health Foundation of India, and a member of the ICMR COVID-19 taskforce said that blood banks across the country were facing shortages of blood components and stressed the need for at least one good blood bank in each district of India.

Mr. Mukherjee further said that blood donated by voluntary donors was considered safer than those donated by paid donors. He also said that the experts were expecting more safe blood.

Source: https://bit.ly/3e1mRG5

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