3.3 million blood donors in Nepal

Kathmandu / July 27: Number of blood donors has reached 3.3 million in 50 years period. The Blood Transfusion Centre under the Nepal Red Cross Society had started blood collection and distribution from July 27, 1966 after three years of establishment of Nepal Red Cross Society.

At a programme organised by the Nepal Red Cross Society on the occasion of golden jubilee ceremony here today, it was informed that the Society had started collecting and distributing blood from Bir Hospital in the name of Laxmi Blood Bank.

The Blood Bank had collected 197 units of blood in the first year while it collected around 300,000 units of blood last year. It had started the service from September 19, 1982 from its Bhrikutimandap-based building. The building was damaged by the Gorkha earthquake. Now, it has been providing the service from Balkumari in Lalitpur.

The blood donation had begun in Nepal from 2000 BS after Daya Birsingh Kansakar had saved the life of the then patient Ratnakaji Tuladhar of Bir Hospital donating blood, it is learnt. Kansakar has been considered as the first blood donor of Nepal.

Inaugurating the golden jubilee ceremony, Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun stressed the need of national consensus among political parties for the implementation of the new constitution.

Stating that political parties should not stand in the way of one another for national consensus, Vice-president Pun said consensus would only build a prosperous Nepal.

Vice President Pun noted the compulsion among the quake-stricken to spend their daily lives under temporary tents, and the plight of the people suffering under the flooding in Tarai Madhes and landslides in the hilly districts, urging the government to rescue them and provide humanitarian support.

On the occasion, VP Pun conferred medals and honoured those who have made incomparable contribution in donating blood.

Society’s Chairman Sanjeev Thapa said the quality of the blood transfusion service would be upgraded in the coming days. Currently, the service is available in only 70 districts of Nepal.

Society’s General Secretary Dev Ratna Dwakha said the society was working on humanitarian service.

Society’s Deputy General Secretary and Golden Jubilee Main Ceremony Committee Coordinator, Hari Prasad Neupane, said blood donation is tantamount to saving life. He said the society was working to encourage the volunteers in donating blood.

On the occasion, Golden Jubilee Memorial published by the Society was made public. The Society also took out a morning procession to mark the ceremony. RSS