Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)
Mangaluru, Mar 9: To address the shortage of blood for patients in hospitals across Dakshina Kannada district, the organisation Blood Donors Mangaluru (BDM) has formed a special task force committee. The team has been actively donating blood after Iftar every day during the month of Ramadan.
Whenever an urgent request for blood is circulated through WhatsApp groups, members of the task force immediately contact the concerned hospital and the patient's relatives. After breaking their fast in the evening, they visit the blood banks and donate blood directly to help patients in need.
With the support of local organisations and volunteers, the BDM task force has collected around 150 units of blood within the first 15 days of Ramadan and supplied it to patients requiring urgent treatment, providing significant humanitarian support.
Generally, hospitals experience a shortage of blood during Ramadan. Although several blood donation camps were organised before the start of the fasting month, the number of donors was not sufficient to meet the demand.
During Ramadan, many Muslims refrain from donating blood while fasting, while people from other communities continue to donate. Dakshina Kannada has a large number of hospitals and also receives many patients from neighbouring districts, increasing the demand for blood.
To overcome the shortage, the BDM team led by founder-president Siddique Manjeshwar, president Nawaz Naringana, vice-president Ashraf Uppinangady, secretary Shahul Hameed Kashipatna, and direct blood donation coordinators Taufiq Kulai, Mansoor B C Road, and Salam Chombugudde has been actively organising direct blood donations.
The organisation has been conducting blood donation camps and various social service activities for the past 13 years across the state, country, and even abroad.
“Due to Ramadan fasting, college examinations, summer season, and an increase in the number of patients, hospitals are facing a shortage of blood. Therefore, we visit hospitals after Iftar and donate blood directly wherever it is urgently required,” said Siddique Manjeshwar, founder-president of Blood Donors Mangaluru.
"We have been prioritising blood donation for the past 13 years. Our aim is to help poor patients and those coming from other districts and states for treatment. We have formed an active team that immediately responds whenever blood is required,” said Nawaz Naringana, president of Blood Donors Mangaluru.