The number of people and thus the amount of blood being donated has been rising year on year in Jowai, making it easier for the treatment of patients.
Dr P Shylla, the officer in charge of the Jowai Blood Centre today informed that the total collection stands at 6,215 from 2014 to September 2022.
The vast majority of this (4,476), however, comes in the form of replacement blood, i.e. when friends or family of blood recipients replace the amount used by the patient. The rest (1,739) comes from donors at blood donation drives, etc.
Collection has been rising steadily almost every year since 2014, except for a slight dip in 2019. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic collection remained high, with it totalling 1,057 in 2021 and it is set to surpass that figure in 2022, with 1,046 already collected by September.
The figures were provided by Dr Shylla today during a programme to observe National Voluntary Blood Donation Day in Jowai.
Jowai MLA Waildmiki Shylla who attended the event to felicitate the voluntary blood donors acknowledged the act of generosity of the regular voluntary donors and encouraged more donors to join the good cause.
However, he said that feels disheartened that the programme is attended only by the blood donors and the staff of the Blood Bank and suggested involvement of students to such events to educate them on the need to strengthen the noble cause of humanity, which will help immensely in saving many precious lives.
The programme was organised in collaboration with the Meghalaya Aids Control Society (MACS), National Health Mission on the theme, ‘Donating Blood is an Act of Solidarity Joint Effors and Save Lives.’
Ialong Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr. Rita Pohrmen, Dr. Ramanand Prasad, Occupational Health Centre Dalmia Bharat Ltd and others attended the felicitation programme.
