DYFI kick-starts blood-donation drive

Thiruvananthapuram: DYFI activists have kick-started a voluntary blood-donation drive here to meet the shortage of blood in blood banks following Covid-19 scare. The drive is being carried out in the wake of voluntary blood donation getting hit since the virus spread in the state.
On Saturday, a group of more than 100 DYFI activists donated blood at the blood bank at Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, kick-starting the drive. The drive has been launched as part of the Jeevadhara scheme of the DYFI district committee. The activists were led by DYFI state secretary A A Rahim, state committee member Suresh Babu, district president V Vineeth, district secretary K P Pramosh and district committee treasurer V Anoop.
Inaugurating the blood donation drive, Rahim said hospitals across the state are facing shortage of blood in their blood banks, especially those hospitals where isolation wards have been opened to observe suspected Covid-19 affected people. This is because people are reluctant to come anywhere near the hospitals out of fear of getting affected by the virus. Hence, this drive will be carried out across the state under the aegis of block committees for the next 19 days.
Rahim said the closure of educational institutions following Covid-19 spread has also affected voluntary blood donation in the state as majority of blood donors were college students. DYFI members are committed to ensure that blood banks in the state have sufficient blood in stock to meet emergency situations, he said, adding that DYFI’s initiative will also encourage more people to step forward for voluntary blood donation during this crisis period.
TOI had reported on Friday that there was a major dip in the number of voluntary blood donors ever since the virus spread and education institutions were closed down subsequently.