At a Kolkata Blood Donation Camp, It Was Raining 'Ilish', Induction Ovens Until Health Staff Arrived

Kolkata: The slogan of the camp was: no temptation, but voluntary blood donation. But the reality on the ground seemed different as donors were presented with delectable ‘Ilish’ (Hilsa) fish and induction ovens at a blood donation camp in Kolkata.

A blood donation camp conducted by ‘Mirzapur Bandhab Sammilani’ at the College Square area in Central Kolkata on Friday, came under fire for illegally luring people to donate blood with goodies. For every one unit of blood donated, a 1kg Hilsa fish and an induction oven were gifted to the donors.

As per the NBTC/NACO and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 (122-EA, Part-XB), blood donation should be purely voluntary and the organisers must not gift anything to anyone visiting their camps.

Albeit, a lot of people arrived at the camp to voluntarily donate blood, a large number of people descended with the hope of receiving the sumptuous gift of Hilsa.

“For the last four years, we are organising blood donation camps. In 2016, we gifted ceiling fan and rain coat, while in 2017 we gifted mobile phones. In 2018, we gifted mixer grinders and this year we gave induction ovens and ‘Ilish Machh’(Hilsa fish),” Secretary of the organising committee Sanjay Nandi, said.

The camp began work at 10 am and 59 people had donated their blood and they were given their gifts, the Secretary added. “Around 2pm, a team of officers from the health department came and told us to stop the blood donation camp as we were indulging in gifting donors. They told me that this is illegal. I was not aware that it is illegal and so we immediately stopped it,” he said, adding that the blood collected from the 59 donors was taken to the Manicktala Blood Bank.

The circular issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare on May 25, 2018, said, “It is reiterated that blood donation is purely a voluntary and non-remunerated act as per existing norms of NBTC/NACO and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945 (122-EA, Part-XB)."