The message of the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day this year is “Voluntary blood donation will cost you nothing, but it will save a life”. The message is matching the voluntary blood donation scenario in Odisha.
If we see the history of the voluntary blood donation movement in India, it started in West Bengal first. The movement gained momentum in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Delhi and Tamil Nadu between 1955 and 1975 and 1980.
In Odisha, this movement began in 2002. Up to 2001, the per cent of voluntary blood donation was nearly 12 in the State. In 2002, the percentage was 24.47; in 2003, 34; in 2004, 42.5; in 2005, 57; in 2006, 62; in 2007, 69.5; in 2008, 66.5; in 2009, 66.5; in 2010, 68.3; in 2011,75.65; and in 2012, 71.3. So, the trend is on an impressive increase. But it did not happen automatically. We had to make efforts for it. First, we thought to organise the blood donors and motivators.
A very few donors were working as the motivators at the local level. To make a State-level association, on June 8, 2002 we decided to form an association, State blood donors’ and motivators’ association, and the members present unanimously selected me as its convener.
I called blood donors and motivators from different districts to the Red Cross Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on July 14, 2002 to form the association. Under my chairmanship, the first general body meeting was held on that day and the association was formed and its bylaw was passed and office-bearers and executive committee were selected.
The name of the Association was Orissa Voluntary Blood Donors’ and Motivators’ Association. We visited different districts for formation of the association’s branches at the district level. Before this, at some places like Angul, Brahmapur and Burla donors and motivators were in the movement. So, to utilise their experiences we organised mega blood donation camps with the help of local associations. In December 2002, as much as 751 units of blood were donated at Angul. In April 2003 in Bhubaneswar 816 units; on October 2, 2003 at Brahmapur 857 units; on October 2, 2004 at Brahmapur 1,122 units; on January 30, 2005 at Dhenkanal 1,272 units; and at Talcher, Deogarh and Burla more than 500 units. On April 1, 2005 in my chairmanship a mega blood donation camp was held in Bhubaneswar where 2,002 units of blood were donated; and this is the highest blood donation camp in the State till date. At that time, the Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Council and Blood Banks were supporting us.
In 2007-2008, everything changed and the voluntary blood donation percentage in the State decreased from 69.5 per cent to 66.5 per cent. There were three major causes for this.
The first one was the abolition of the post of Director, State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC). In 2007, the independent post of Director, SBTC was abolished and the Joint Director of State Aids Cell was given the charge additionally.
The Joint Director who was in the charge of Blood Safety, he or she had a fulltime job in the State AIDS Cell. After that, the Director, SBTC charge was an additional charge to him or her. So, the interest to do the work of SBTC decreased and then the independence to do a work declined. Previously the Director, SBTC was the secretary and the Health Secretary was the president of the SBTC. But now after 2008, besides the secretary and president another administrator, the Project Director, State AIDS Cell, who is also an IAS officer and the boss of the Joint Director of State AIDS Cell-cum-Director, SBTC, was there.
The second cause was the appointment of a wrong person to the right post of the State Voluntary Blood Donor Consultant. In 2002, when we formed the Orissa Voluntary Blood Donors’ and Motivators’ Association and selected a motivator as its president, after three years he went on destroying the association. In 2008, he got the job of the State Voluntary Blood Donor Consultant and is now also a paid employee of the State AIDS Cell.
When the Orissa Voluntary Blood Donors’ and Motivators’ Association president got the job in State AIDS Cell with a high package salary, he forgot the association. He filed a case in court and got the statusquo against the association only to keep the visiting card of president of the association and got some benefits.
The third major cause was that the State Red Cross secretary was changed. After this, the chairman of the State’s largest blood bank was also changed and the new chairman was an employee of a private hospital.
As she got her salary from the private hospital, she could not give time to solve the problems of the blood bank. A life member of the Red Cross may raise the issue at the Annual General Body meeting, but no meeting has been held for the last five years.
The message of “Voluntary blood donation will cost you nothing, but it will save a life” is an old version. “Cost you nothing” does not mean a person is gaining out of voluntary blood donation. Gaining means I am not telling about the paid donors or professional donors; a donor is gaining physically.
A regular donor is protected from many diseases like heart stroke, blood pressure and other blood and fat-related ailments. So, after donating blood the donor not only saves a life but he also himself maintains a healthy life, for which now the slogan is Donate blood, be healthy along with the slogan Donate blood, save life. So, the message for 2013 should be like the one Voluntary blood donation will make the donor healthy, and it will save a life.
(The writer is the founder-president of Orissa Voluntary Blood Donors’ and Motivators’ Association, A/E-192, VSS Nagar, Bhubaneswar-7; Ph (M) 9938537600)