Hundreds have to beg for blood

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Devasya from Malabar came to the city for treatment of cancer at the Regional Cancer Centre. But what happened hence should be an eye-opener to the hundreds of people who refuse or hesitate to donate blood.While any normal person has a platelet count of 1.4 lakh, Devasya’s count went as down to 10,000. The count went on nosediving as he, a stranger to the city, could not find any donor. With death haunting him at every step, Devasya had to walk all the way from RCC to Statue, literally begging for blood. Finally, it was some good samaritans at a government office near Statue who went with him to donate blood. Thanks to them, Devasya is still alive. Devasya is just one among the hundreds who have to beg for blood, says the Voluntary Blood Donors Society based in Thampanoor. ‘’Most patients from outside the city have a huge problem obtaining blood. Obviously they cannot bring 5-6 donors from their hometown and their only option will be to buy blood from professional donors. It is a common scene to see patients pawn their gold ornaments for blood,’’ said M S Renjith, secretary of the society. Those who have gold, pawn them. Those who don’t, end up in tears. The only answer is to create more awareness and to dispel the fears connected with blood donation, say the office-bearers of the Voluntary Blood Donors Society. It is under these circumstances that the society has launched a ‘Mission 2012’ so as to make the demand and supply of safe blood to be equal by 2012. They also intend to create at least 50,000 blood donors in the state by December 2012. Mission 2012 has the support of various residents’ associations and their apex body, the Federation of Residents Associations, Trivandrum. Apart from FRAT, the NCC, NSS, IMA, KESTKA, Corporation, Police Association, Sathya Sai Seva Sangham, VSSC, Sevabharathi and the BSS will also be backing the campaign. What is more, several cine stars, artists and politicians too have promised to campaign for blood donation. It will not be far off when the city will get to see posters of celebrities like Parvathy Omanakuttan, Bhama, Sujatha, G Venugopal, Jagadeesh, Suresh Gopi, V S Achuthanandan, Prithvi Raj, Indrajith, Mallika Sukumaran, Shashi Tharoor and even O Rajagopal urging you to donate blood. Those who would like to include their names in the blood donors register should contact telephone numbers 9895555632 or 9846873753 or by e-mail: [email protected].