Union Minister Naqvi donates blood on 'World Blood Donor Day'
Jun 14, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 14 : Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday donated blood at the Red Cross Society in the national capital on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day.
Speaking to ANI here, Naqvi said: "One who is healthy must donate blood, it is good for the person who donates it and can also help in saving one's life. I donate regularly."
"Donation of blood means a few minutes to you, but a lifetime for somebody else"... On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day today, I donated blood at New Delhi," Naqvi tweeted.
World Blood Donor Day, established in 2004, is marked every year on June 14. The event aims to raise awareness of the need for safe blood. It is also an occasion to thank blood donors for their voluntary efforts in this direction.
According to a study by the ICMR, one out of every 18 births is a thalassemia carrier in Delhi. In Delhi, around 200 births of Thalassaemia major takes place every year. All these patients require repeated and regular blood transfusion (every two to four weeks) and iron chelation therapy for survival.
The average cost per patient is Rs 50,000-Rs 2,00,000 per year, which is bound to increase further with inflation. A thalassaemic child on average requires 30 units of blood every year. All these thalassaemia major births can be completely prevented through awareness/sensitisation and timely screening.
