IMPHAL, June 18: The Voluntary Help Unit Committee and Immuno Haematology and Blood Transfusion department, RIMS jointly organized a Blood Donation Awareness Camp cum the 12th Voluntary Blood Donation camp at the hospital as a tribute to the martyrs of June 18, 2001.
The blood donation camp was organized under the theme ‘Blood for All Races’.
The donation camp was sponsored by the Manipur Aids Control Society.
86 volunteers including 18 females and 68 males donated blood during the camp.
Speaking to IFP, one of the organizers said that they had targeted a total of 100 voluntary blood donors, however there was a turnout of 86 donors which is in fact about 40-50 donors more than last year’s camp.
He continued that the legal age range for blood donors are from 18-65 and today’s camp was attended by people from the age range of 20 to 52.
The blood donors included volunteers from AMSU, MSF, School of Nursing, Medical Directorate, RIMS student union and the organizers.
When asked about how the annual blood donation camp was started, he told IFP that the victims of the June 18 uprising were brought to the hospital and since then they had started organising the camp annually on June 18.
He elaborated the Voluntary Help Unit Committee are not only organizing blood camps, but it is also into helping poor accident victims brought to the hospital with provision of blood and sometimes financial help.
He said they sometimes asked for help from the pharmacies to provide free medicines to the injured poor victims of accidents and other mishaps.