The 14th of June every year is celebrated as the World blood donor day all over the world to commemorate the birth anniversary of Lord (Dr.) Karl Landstiener, who discovered the ABO blood groups in the year 1900. The Indian Red Cross Society has been organising the World Blood donor week 2013 from 14th June to 21st June every year since the last several years. A series of activities which include organisation of Voluntary blood donation camps and mass media campaign for publicity to encourage voluntary blood donations were organised.

A valedictory function was organised on the 21st June 2013 at 5 p.m at the Multipurpose Conference facility of the Indian Red Cross Society, National Headquarters. Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Hon’ble Chairman of the IRCS (the Hon’ble Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare) kindly consented to be the Chief Guest for the programme. Shri Lov Verma, Secretary, Department of AIDS Control, Govt. of India and Shri Surender Sharma, the well known Hindi poet were amongst the invitees.

Proceedings began on a sombre note as a two minute's silence was impeccably observed in honour of all those who died tragically in the Uttarakhand flash floods.

Shri Azad honoured 12 regular blood donors and eight Blood donation camp organisers who have regularly contributed of large number of blood units to the IRCS (NHQ) blood bank. The Chairman also congratulated the Secretary General for the Blood bank being accredidated by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare providers (NABH) and handed over the Certificate of Accreditation.

The Secretary General thanked the Hon’ble Chairman for his continued support and keen interest in the activities of the Indian Red Cross and especially the blood services. He said that the observation of the Blood donor week instead of the day had resulted in many more donors joining the movement. Shri Surender Sharma exhorted all to donate blood and said in Hindi “dikkat yeh hai ki hum apni banayi murtiyon ke liye lahu baha dete hain parantu ishwar ki banayi murtiyon ke liye lahu bhi nahi de sakte”. Shri Lov Verma extended his thanks to the hundreds and thousands of voluntary blood donors and camp organisers who work ceaselessly to motivate people to overcome their fear and hesitation in donating blood.

The Hon’ble Chairman Shri Ghulm Nabi Azad in his speech expressed deep anguish at the immense loss of life in the Uttarakhand state due to the flash floods. He said that blood donation camps should be organised on national days of importance like Gandhi Jayanti etc. He shared his experience as a youth leader and recalled that in the early eighties a camp organised by him had broken all records by collecting more than 100,000 units of blood.

The volunteers and members of state Red Cross Branches of Odisha, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar participated the programme through video conference. The Hon’ble Chairman interacted with the participants and felicitated them on the occasion.

Click here for phorographs of Photographs of the Felicitation of “Voluntary blood donors” and “Blood donation camp organisers”