Heartwarming Legacy: Celebrating 20 Years of Life-Saving Blood Donation Drives at Chennai College
The New College is marking a significant milestone this year by completing 20 years of championing blood donation among its students. This commendable journey recently saw the college’s YRC unit organize its 83rd blood donation camp, contributing 258 units of blood to the Royapettah Government Hospital blood bank and the Red Cross Blood Bank. Over the past two decades, the institution’s students have donated more than 12,000 units of blood to various government hospitals.
The initiative began in 2004 with 62 student donors, motivated by the efforts of the former principal, Professor A. Kadar Basha, and J. Sulaiman, the longtime NSS programme officer. To educate and inspire students, doctors from the Government Hospital in Royapettah and the Indian Red Cross were invited to discuss the vital importance of blood donation, emphasizing that a single unit can assist three to four patients.
Initially, student donors primarily came from the NSS, YRC, and Rotaract Club, but soon these organizations began broader campaigns among peers. Before the rise of social media, the college issued circulars to promote the camps. Notably, photographs of student donors were displayed on notice boards to commend their contributions.
The college has significantly increased the frequency of its blood donation camps, now hosting three to four events annually in July, October, December, and February. These efforts see participation from more than 500 students each time. The college now boasts 30 departments with heightened awareness of social causes, a substantial growth compared to its earlier days.
Sulaiman, currently the director of social service at the college, has personally donated blood 24 times and has actively encouraged his colleagues to contribute. The institution also incentivizes student volunteers by granting them five hours of attendance and recognition for their selfless acts. Mega camps are held in the college auditorium, while students are dispatched to hospitals based on specific blood donation requests, ensuring timely aid to those in need.
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/twenty-years-of-blood-donation-drive-for-this-chennai-college/article68405578.ece
Category : Chennai
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