Mangaluru: The Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion / Blood Centre, Father Muller Medical College Hospital in association with the Youth Red Cross Unit, Father Muller Medical College organized World Blood Donor Day by felicitating a few of the regular voluntary blood donors and voluntary blood donation camp organizers. The theme of this year is “Give blood, give Plasma, share life, share often”. The programme was conducted in the Father Muller Knowledge Centres’ AV Hall on 16 June 2023. Though the day is celebrated on 14 June every year, due to prior commitments and logistics the event was held on a later date.
Dr Kishore Kumar M District Health and Family Welfare Officer, Dakshina Kannada was the Chief Guest for the function and Rev Fr Richard A Coelho, Director, Father Muller Charitable Institution was the President for the Function.
Dr Kirana Pailoor Professor and Head Dept of IHBT & Convener of Youth Red Cross Unit Father Muller Medical College Hospital welcomed the gathering.
Dr Kishore Kumar M in his address spoke of the humanity in donation of not only blood but organs too. The need of the hour is to educate more and more people about the good of blood donation and that blood which has no substitute brings back a life. He also wanted blood banks to keep the donors in a waiting queue rather than store and later dispose of the life-saving blood.
Rev Fr Richard A Coelho Director, Father Muller Charitable Institutions delivered the Presidential address. He was also a voluntary blood donor who donated around 25 times earlier. He also addressed the gathering and stressed the importance of voluntary blood donation and told the youth to come forward for this noble cause.
Rev Fr George Jeevan Sequeira was the Guest of Honour for the function who himself is a blood donor and donates regularly.
Bombay blood group donors and a few regular voluntary blood donors were felicitated. Members of various organizations that helped us during Covid Pandemic to arrange the blood donors, arranging transport to bring the blood donors and getting the blood from other blood centres including Smile Foundation, Kulai, Mangalore; Red Drop, ICYM Mangalore Diocese; Hindu Yuva Sena, Mangalore; Yuvashakthi Raktanidhi, Mangalore; St Aloysius (Autonomous) College, Mangalore; We Donate Organization, Kerala; SDPI, Mangalore; Reliance Digital Blood Donors, Mangalore; Shri Paramajyothi Seva Samithi, Bajal, Mangalore; St Agnes (Autonomous) College, Mangalore.
Members of the staff, faculty and students were felicitated for their voluntary donations for in-house patients. Staff and faculty who have helped in seeking donors for patients were felicitated.
The function concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Charu Khosla, Assistant Professor Department of IHBT/ Blood Centre. Delicia and Surya of First Year MBBS were the hosts for the event. Members of the Management and Heads of departments along with donors and voluntary group members were present.
