CM Dr. Sarma flags off five mobile blood donation vans
In a bid to sensitize people for voluntary blood donation and generate awareness among them, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma as a part of State government’s initiative, flagged off five mobile blood donation vans at Janata Bhawan on Tuesday.
It may be noted that in the year 2022-23, Assam State Blood Transfusion Council with the aid received from State government and National Health Mission, Assam purchased five mobile blood donation vans for Rs. 4.43 crore. Of this, Rs. 2.07 crore was given by the State government and remaining Rs. 2.27 crore was received from NHM. One each of these vans will be deployed at Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, S.M. Deb Civil Hospital at Chachar, Mangaldoi Civil Hospital at Darrang district, and Sivasagar Civil Hospital at Sivasagar district. These vans will be pressed into service at the far flung areas to sensitize people for voluntary blood donations and reach the target of 100 per cent voluntary blood donations.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said that State government in the year 2019-20 bought 11 mobile blood donation vans. With the addition of these five vans, scale of the voluntary blood donations will be increased. It will also help the poor patients to receive required blood during emergency. All the voluntary blood donation vans put together have been able to accumulate 10,886 units of blood during COVID pandemic. The Chief Minister said that in the current financial year, another five more mobile vans will be bought and pressed into service. All the district civil hospitals and Medical Colleges will be provided with the service of mobile voluntary blood donation vans.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Keshab Mahanta, PHE, Tourism etc Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, Principal Secretary to Health and Family Welfare Department Avinash Joshi, and a few senior officers and host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.