Kiran Bedi highlights importance of blood donation

Puducherry, Jun 14 Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today highlighted the importance of blood donation as "it unites people" and narrated her own story on how it saved her father who met with a serious accident some 60 years ago.

"Blood donation is a noble trait and as blood donation unites people there is absolutely no room for religious differences between donor and the recipient of blood. Blood is a life saver," Bedi said.

She was speaking on the occasion of celebration of 'world blood donor day', organised jointly by Pondicherry AIDS Control Society and Pondicherry Council for Blood Transfusion. Bedi said this was her first public function after assuming office of the Lt Governor on May 29.

She said there was a personal reason also for her participation in this 'important function. Turning nostalgic, she recalled how her father had met with a serious road accident losing copious blood.

Doctors at the hospital where her father was admitted had pointed out that her father needed blood in the next 24 hours. "We were at our wits end and did not know what to do," she said adding that fortunately one Rahman, a close friend of her father, had come forward and donated blood.

"Rahmans blood matched with my father's and this had saved my father," she said. "The noble gesture of Rahman saved my father," she said, thanking him for his timely gesture then.

"Blood connects people and it knows no differences of religions or any other short sighted considerations," she said appealing to the people to come forward to donate blood voluntarily as "blood donation is a noble cause and saves people during emergencies." Bedi also assured the health authorities that she would volunteer to donate blood to the Blood Bank and requested the medical team to turn up at Raj Nivas to collect her blood.

The Lt Governor felicitated Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao and presented memento and a certificate to him in recognition of his donation of blood 41 times so far. She also presented cash awards to those who proficiently participated in various competitions.

Director of Health and Family Welfare Services Dr K V Raman said the Health department had 15 blood banks and last year as much as 41,000 units of blood were voluntarily donated by various donors.

Earlier, Bedi flagged-off a motor cycle rally held to generate awareness about blood donation among the people. She also felicitated voluntary donors inside the blood donation vehicle stationed at the venue.

PTI