Patna, June 14: Health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey felicitated several regular blood donors at an event at Jaiprabha Model Blood Bank in Kankerbagh today.

He said more people should donate blood on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day.

A blood donation camp was organised during the event and many other camps were set up at various government-run health centres in the capital.

On the occasion, Choubey also flagged off a blood-donation bus given to Bihar State AIDS Control Society (BSACS) by National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) which will travel through the state to promote and create awareness about the need for voluntary blood donation and will double up as a mobile blood donation camp.

Choubey said as there is no alternative to blood donation by people to save lives, healthy people should make it a habit to donate blood regularly.

“By donating blood, one not only saves precious lives, he/she also ensures that illegal blood donation, like professional blood transaction, is discouraged. We are only able to fulfil 38 per cent of total blood demand through voluntary blood donation. This percentage has to increase with collective efforts of all stakeholders,” he said.

BSACS project director Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, said the bus is ultra-modern and fully equipped to collect and store donated blood. “The bus will travel through even the remotest parts of the state and will collect blood from healthy voluntary donors. It also has the capacity to store blood for long durations, which will regularly be transferred to other blood banks or hospitals in need of blood,” he said.

He, however, said it would take a while before the vehicle starts its maiden journey. “As it is a different kind of bus with a specific purpose, we need a good and experienced driver. The date of interview for the post has been fixed on June 28 and then a doctor will be appointed. We will also depute a doctor, paramedic staff and attendant on the bus and four people will be able to donate blood at the mobile camp at any given point of time,” Sinha added.

He said BSACS had facilitated various NGOs and people working in this field to motivate others too. “Red Cross Society’s contribution in the field of voluntary blood donation and management of blood banks has been stupendous. Also many regular people who have been facilitated today have donated blood over 50 times. They are inspiration for others,” Sinha said.

According to the official data, only 1,16,490 units of blood were collected through voluntary blood donation last year while the need stood at 10 lakh units.