In a bid to promote blood donation in university campuses and ensure that ample volume of blood is available at blood banks for people in need, all the State universities have been directed to provide a list of voluntary blood donors among students by the Governor cum Chancellor, Droupadi Murmu.
A letter has been issued to all the eight State universities including Ranchi University, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Vinoba Bhave University, Kolhan University, Nilamber Pitamber University, Binod Bihari Mahato Koylanchal University, Sido Kanhu Murmu University and Jharkhand Raksha Shakti University directing them to prepare the blood donors list.
A senior officer informed that in the first phase, health checkup has to be conducted for the students studying in constituent colleges and a list of those willing to donate blood has to be prepared. The list having details of blood donors along with blood groups, called Chancellor’s Blood Donors List will be uploaded on the Chancellor’s Portal.
Dean, Students Welfare (DSW) at Ranchi University, PK Verma said, “We have already sent a letter to all the constituent colleges and asked them to provide us a list by January 14. Once we get the details, we will send it across the Raj Bhavan.”
Meanwhile, DSW of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Namita Singh informed that a health camp will be organised at the university in February where the details would be collected.
“As the examinations are ongoing we cannot distract students but the camp will be put up immediately after the exams are over. Till then, we will provide a list of those students who had already donated blood in a camp organized in the university in November, as they are already listed as blood donors,” she said.
The students of universities and constituent colleges appreciated the step and showed interest in being blood donors. Shashank Ranjan, a student of DSPMU said, “I lost my friend after a road accident because we could not get a donor. If we have a list of blood donors we can contact when needed then many lives can be saved.”
Atul Gera of Life Savers, a voluntary blood donors group said that there is a need to motivate students to donate blood. “There is a need to have sufficient blood in the blood banks. Blood donation camps should be organized at every college and university on a regular basis. Even if 50% students donate blood, the crisis in blood banks would automatically end,” he said.