DNA: Students are the lifeline of bloodbanks: May 09, 2008

Geeta Anandani, a 20-year-old SYBCom student from Thane, flinched as a clinician poked a sterile needle into a vein in her left arm. A trickle of blood then made its way into a collection bag which started filling up slowly.

Geeta was on her way to meet some friends when she overheard an announcement at the Dadar railway station saying, You can save three lives by donating blood. “I don’t have money to donate. This is the best thing I can do,” said Geeta, who donated blood for the first time on Wednesday after hearing the announcement.

Geeta was not the only one to do so, there were 54 others who donated their blood at a makeshift air-conditioned cabin at Dadar central railway station, where the State Blood Transfusion Council (STBC), along with Think Foundation, an NGO, restarted its voluntary blood donation drive on Wednesday. A similar drive is on at the Andheri station as well.

It was the phenomenal success of its seven-month long drive last year at these two stations that the STBC approached the central railway for permission once again this year. “During our last drive, we had an average of 80 people donating blood on a daily basis at the Dadar camp. If we have seven more such camps at other railway stations, it will take care of the blood requirement of the entire city of Mumbai,” said Hardeep Singh, co-ordinator, Think Foundation.

“In fact, we have approached the railway authorities for permission to conduct similar drives permanently at seven other railway stations. We are hopeful of getting permission in a fortnight,” said Vinay Shetty, vice-president, Think Foundation.

Mumbai requires 700 units of blood per day, and about 21,000 units of blood per month. The only way to solve the problem of blood shortage is to encourage voluntary blood donation, say STBC officials. “Mumbai depends entirely on college-students like Geeta for blood,” said Singh. Maximum blood units are collected from voluntary donation drives conducted at colleges. That is why the city experiences an acute shortage of blood units during vacations,” he added.

Then there are some good Samaritans like Shripad Parulekar, 40, who donate blood every four months. “When I was 11-year-old, I saw my grandmother die because she couldn’t get blood on time. I started donating blood when I turned 19 and have encouraged my family members to do so,” said Parulekar who has donated blood 37 times so far. So the next time you wonder about your good deed for the day, just head to Dadar railway station and donate blood — all it takes is 15 minutes.