Media Release
Udupi, Oct 1: National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is celebrated on October 1 in India to recognise and commemorate the immense contribution made by Dr Jai Gopal Jolly on his birthday. On this occasion, Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, the vice-chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education launched the 'Kasturba Hospital Rare Blood Donor Registry' through virtual platform. Speaking on the occasion, he said “All of us practicing clinicians are well aware of the problems and challenges that one encounters while arranging for a life saving transfusions for a patient with rare blood phenotype. Often the relatives and the blood bank need to put in a massive effort to identify and arrange for rare group donor. It is first of its kind from south India, this initiative will help the patients in need of rare phenotype.” He also emphasized the invaluable contribution made by the voluntary blood donors to the society.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Poornima Baliga dean Manipal-TATA Medical College, Jamshedpur told “This initiative is the need of the hour and it is going to reduce the turnaround time in providing transfusion support to the patients with rare blood phenotypes.”
Dr Sharath Rao dean of KMC, Manipal congratulated the team and appreciated the selfless service of all the voluntary blood donors.
Dr Shamee Shastry, head of Kasturba Hospital Blood Centre in overview said, “A blood group is said to be rare if its prevalence is less than 1 in 1000 people. To develop the regional rare donor registry, we have selected regular voluntary donors with Blood group O, who are the residents of Udupi district. Further we screened them for 23 minor red blood cell antigens that are clinically significant. Currently we have 26 rare blood phenotypes and 40 donors with these rare phenotypes in the registry.”
The stalwarts from the field of Transfusion Medicine, Dr Sanmuk Joshi, renowned scientist director Lok Samarpan Regional Blood Center, Surat, Dr Rajendra Chaudhury from SGPGIMS, Lucknow, Dr Debasish Gupta, the president of Indian Society of Transfusion Medicine, wished all the success and said that rare blood donor registry is the need of the hour in our country.
“This special service will be extended to the entire region. The clinicians looking for rare blood phenotype for managing the patients can find information and the link for online request in the website of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal” said Dr Avinash Shetty, medical superintendent of Kasturba Hospital Manipal. Dr PLNG Rao pro-vice chancellor, Quality Assurance and faculty of Health Sciences of MAHE and C G Muthana chief operating officer, Kasturba Hosptial Manipal conveyed their well wishes.