World Blood Donor Day marked at Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Kohima

KOHIMA — In commemoration of World Blood Donor Day, an event was held at Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR), Kohima, on Wednesday themed “Give blood, give hope: together we can save lives”.

Organised by the Voluntary Blood Donors Association Nagaland (VBDAN) in collaboration with NIMSR, a total of 51 volunteers donated blood during the donation drive.

World Blood Donors Day is observed on June 14 every year, but the organisers postponed the celebration to June 18.

Veyielo Doulu, director of Tourism, while addressing the occasion, emphasised the importance of blood donation and its impact on saving lives. He suggested introducing a “philanthropy award” for individuals who donated the most, recognising their significant contributions to blood donation.

He also said that awareness of blood donation is needed, pointing out that stigma still surrounds it. Awareness is required to break stigma and bridge the gap. He further encouraged attendees to continue their efforts in promoting awareness.

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Dr Avila Sangtam, Medical Officer at the Blood Centre, Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK), dwelled on the importance of voluntary blood donation. She noted that Nagaland still faces blood shortages and that voluntary donors play a vital role in bridging the gap.

Nagaland is yet to achieve 100 per cent voluntary donations, unlike Mizoram, which has reached 100 per cent. The state still requires replacement donors, something that can be easily addressed with more voluntary donors. She urged people to come forward and donate if they are in good health.

She said awareness programmes on blood donation are important because blood has an expiry date and needs new donors, where voluntary donors can fill the gap.

The expiry of red blood cells is 35 days, while platelets last for five days.

The time gap between donations is three months for males and four months for females. Noting this “long time gap”, she urged people to come forward and fill it with voluntary donations. Donating blood is another way of saving lives, she added.

Dr Avile Zao, Director of the Nagaland State Blood Transfusion Council (NSTBC), spoke on the significance of the occasion. She emphasised the crucial role that voluntary group donors play in sustaining blood supplies and meeting the needs of patients requiring transfusion.

She expressed appreciation to all voluntary blood donors for their selfless gift of life and encouraged eligible donors to come forward and join the noble act.

Students from three colleges – Sazolie College, Jotsoma; Jubilee Memorial College, Mokokchung; and Tetso College, Chümoukedima – were recognised with state-level certificates for donating blood whenever required. Students from NIMSR and the three colleges, as well as the NDRF team and individuals, donated blood during the donation drive after the formal event.