Media Release
Mangaluru, Jun 12: First and foremost, a very big thank you to all the regular voluntary blood donors and voluntary blood donation camp organizers for donating blood at Father Muller Medical College Hospital Blood Bank and the various other blood banks nationally and internationally.
Medical Science is advancing with record rapidity. One indispensable component that has been behind this fast forward progress is blood transfusion service, be it routine or emergency cases or complex medical and surgical intervention.
Blood is the elixir of life. The need for safe blood is universal. An adequate supply of safe blood can only be assured through regular donations by voluntary unpaid blood donors. Hence, the World Health Organization has designated a special day to thank the blood donors and to encourage more people to donate blood. Every year on June 14, countries around the world celebrates World Blood Donor Day. This event established in 2004, serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood under the slogan 'Give blood and make the world a healthier place'.
World Blood Donors Day is one of the eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization.
Father Muller Medical College Hospital Blood Bank has reached greater heights with immense support by the management. The hospital is accredited by NABH in which the blood bank is a part of it. The blood bank is well equipped with good infrastructures such as automated technology for blood grouping, crossmatching, antibody screening, antiglobulin test and transfusion-transmitted infectious disease screening. It has a Donor Club registry in which, both students and employees of Father Muller Charitable Institutions and voluntary donors from the public are registered.
The blood donated by the donors is separated into different blood components within six hours of blood collection and then issued based on the blood request after the effective screening of blood units. A large number of voluntary blood donation camps are conducted every year with the help of various organizers.
The staff of the blood bank work tirelessly to achieve the goal of administering safe blood to recipients round the clock. The blood bank conducts monthly transfusion committee meetings with clinicians and the management without fail to monitor all the donor and patient-related blood issues. All donor and transfusion reactions are reported to the Haemovigilance team. The blood bank is also involved in various academic activities such as several projects and publications which are completed every year by the MBBS, MSc MLT and MD Pathology students under the guidance of the staff of the blood bank.
Father Muller Medical College Hospital Blood Bank and Youth Red Cross Unit, Father Muller Medical College with the support of the management under the able leadership and immense guidance of the director, Fr Richard A Coelho, Fr Rudolph Ravi D’Sa and Fr Ajith Menezes, young dynamic administrators of the hospital and Medical College, dean, Dr Jayaprakash Alva, medical superintendent, Dr Udayakumar and also under the guidance of the HOD, Pathology, Dr Jayaprakash C S, have been celebrating World Blood Donor Day every year by felicitating a few of their regular voluntary blood donors and voluntary blood donation camp organizers.
However, this year, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, they are unable to celebrate the occasion. Hence, they would like to thank all the regular voluntary blood donors and camp organizers for their constant support by donating blood voluntarily as well as immediately responding to their calls whenever in need.
The memories of the yester year’s celebrations are reminisced through a few pictures.
Interested voluntary blood donors are welcome now to register in the donor club registry at 0824-2238126.
Dr Kirana Pailoor, in-charge Blood Bank officer and associate professor, department of Pathology, FMMC.