At least 1500 youths today volunteered to donate blood at a mega blood donation camp here organised by Cuttack Nagar Yuvak Sangha in association with Metaphor Trans Corporation Pvt Ltd.
However, due to logistical problems, only 1239 units of blood could be collected, which itself is an all-time blood donation record in the State held at a single camp on a given day, informed Ratan Sinha, the secretary of Odisha Blood Donors Motivators' Association.
"Looking at the enthusiasm of the youths to donate blood, we are planning to hold another camp of similar nature during summer season and the entire blood to be collected would be dedicated to Central Red Cross Blood Bank for the use of thalassemia patients," said Metaphor Trans Corporation Director Sushil Kumar Dhal Samanta.
There are nearly 400 thalassemia patients under treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital here and the blood bank requires around 20 units of blood everyday as these patients need a unit of fresh blood every month to survive.
According to an estimate, Odisha needs at least 14 lakh units of blood every year to treat different categories of critically ill patients and only 40 per cent of this requirement is met by donation. "In view of this huge demand of blood in the State and enthusiasm among youths to donate, we are going to hold regular blood donation camps with awareness drive," said the Sangha President Debashis Ghosh.
While Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) chairman Justice B K Mishra inaugurated the blood donation camp, several advocates, doctors and eminent citizens of the city visited the camp to encourage the blood donors. College students, particularly a large number of girls donated blood and pledged to do so regularly.
