State AIDS Control Society has been making numerous efforts to make Jharkhand a leading State in the field of blood donation. Project Director Rajiv Ranjan said that as per the directions of Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh and Principal Secretary, Health, Nitin Madan Kulkarni extensive preparations are being made in this regard.

All districts and blood banks across the State have been informed to organise voluntary blood donation camps from October 1 to October 15. The committee plans to collect 50,000 units of blood during this period. From March 22 to September 23, the committee collected 97,612 units of blood and distributed as many as 1,05,052 units of blood and ensured there was no scarcity of blood in the State. Presently 31 and 28 other blood collection centres are functioning under the AIDS Control Committee in the State.

Blood banks have been functioning in Sadar Hospitals in eight districts including Godda, Jamtara, Saraikela, Ramgarh, Khunti, Jamshedpur, Ranchi and Bokaro. RIMS Ranchi, MGMCH Jamshedpur and PMCH Dhanbad have the status of Regional Blood Transfusion Centres in the State.

Ranjan informed that anyone can get information about the availability of blood from the e-blood portal of the State AIDS Control Committee. There is a gap of 24 hours in updating the portal and those in need can benefit from the information available.The Project Director also informed that the committee is also creating awareness and encouraging people who have recovered from coronavirus to donate plasma. So far 210 units of plasma have been collected while 200 units have also been distributed. People who have recovered from the virus are eligible to donate plasma after 28 days.