Sept. 18: A life-saving record was made on Viswakarma Puja yesterday.

The city broke the record for highest voluntary blood donation in a single day, with a new record of 609 units.

A day after the record, doctors and students of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital also came forward today to donate blood at the hospital’s blood bank.

“For the first time, a large numbers of junior doctors and students of GMCH has come forward to donate blood. Till 4pm today, 120 doctors had donated blood. The number will increase by tomorrow morning. Usually, we ask others to donate blood. This time we want to show the way,” Manash Jyoti Taw, the president of the Junior Doctors’ Association, told The Telegraph.

The city had earlier collected only 216 units of blood (one unit is 350ml) in a day.

The city unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Terapanth Yuvak Parishad, an NGO, on Monday organised voluntary blood donation camps at six centres and many students turned up to help save lives.

The camps were organised as part of its countrywide blood donation drive in around 600 centres.

The camps at Terapant Bhawan at Fancy Bazar collected the highest amount of 290 units.

This was followed by 141 units at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Marwari Hospital and Research Centre (62 units), Assam Gujarat Voluntary Blood Bank (52 units), Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (41 units) and 23 units in the International Hospital.

“It is really great to see young people taking the lead and coming forward to donate blood voluntarily. We have achieved a record donation and the credit goes to all the donors. This will save many lives in the days to come,” the convener of the NGO’s Guwahati unit, Rakesh Jain, said.

The drive recorded 98,227 units of blood collection in a day across the country. The NGO also organised camps at 10 other places in the state.

Jorhat collected 215 units of blood followed by Silchar (203 units), Nagaon (201 units), Tezpur (153 units), Bongaigaon (151 units), Barpeta (121 units), Kharupetia (90 units), Dhubri (80 units), Bilasipara (43 units) and 25 units in Karimganj.

“Guwahati requires nearly 200 units of blood every day but people often have to struggle to obtain blood and voluntary blood donation camps are the only way to solve the problem. Young people can change the scenario for the better and the record collection of blood in a day has proved that,” Jain said.

U.C. Dutta, the head of the department of GMCH blood bank, welcomed the participation of large number of donors in the camps.

“The GMCH requires around 130 to 150 units of blood every day and it is a positive sign that people are coming forward to donate blood and save lives. Many NGOs are also coming forward to organise blood donation camps and create awareness,” he said.