“Blood donation is a noble cause and given our rich culture and tradition of Seva and Sahyog, I urge and appeal to all citizens to come forward and donate blood as part of the countrywide mega voluntary blood donation drive- Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav. Donating blood not just fulfils the national requirement but also is a great service to society & humanity”. This was stated by Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya while donating blood at the blood donation camp at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi today.

Accentuating the importance of voluntary blood donation, Union Health Minister said, “Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav is part of bigger celebrations of Azadi ka Amrit Mahostav.  The campaign aims to increase awareness regarding regular non-remunerated voluntary blood donations and ensure that blood or its components (whole blood/ packed red blood cells/plasma/platelets) are available, accessible, affordable and safe.” As per 2021 statistics, India’s annual requirement is around 1.5 Cr units. In every two seconds, someone in India needs blood and one out of every three of us will need blood in our lifetime, he stated. “Despite the technological advancements, there remains no alternative to blood and 1 unit of blood can save as many as three lives’, Dr Mandaviya noted.

Dr. Mandaviya met the donors at the blood donation camp and appreciated their selfless act of donating blood. Removing myths surrounding blood donation, Dr. Mandaviya stated that “A person has 5 - 6 litres of blood in their body and can donate blood every 90 days (3 months).” Body can recover blood very quickly; blood plasma volume within 24 - 48 hours, red blood cells in about 3 weeks and platelets & white blood cells within minutes.

The nationwide drive is supported by the centralised blood bank management information system called, E-Rakt Kosh portal, which will act as a national repository of blood donors. This will ensure a robust record of blood donors and will expedite blood availability when in need.

Link for E-Rakt Kosh Portal:

 https://www.eraktkosh.in/BLDAHIMS/bloodbank/transactions/bbpublicindex.html

Dr. Mandaviya also released the book "Footprints on the Sands of Time" showcasing contributions of Safdarjung Hospital towards India's healthcare.