The Orissa Voluntary Blood Donors’ and Motivators’ Association has demanded that the Health and Family Welfare Departments withdraw its direction for deleting ‘Red Cross’ from the
name ‘Red Cross Blood Bank’ at the earliest.
“The Health Department has autocratically on September 26 issued a direction to all 55 Red Cross Blood Banks to delete ‘Red Cross’ from the name. It is an autocratic decision. We the Red Cross members strongly oppose the move and we will take to the streets if the department doesn’t withdraw the order in 15 days,” said association founder president and Indian Red Cross Society lifetime member Dillip Dashsharma in a statement.
Dashsharma said more number of persons are coming forward to donate blood as ‘Red Cross’ is attached to the name. Odisha has a special place in the country’s blood bank map as it has the largest number o f Red Cross Blood Banks.
He wanted too resented that IRCS, Odisha Branch has not held annual meeting for the last nine years and executive council meeting for the last eight year. He slammed the State Government for taking away 102 toll-free phone number from the IRCS, OSB a few years back.