VISAKHAPATNAM: A reliable registry of voluntary blood donors is the need of the hour, which ensures pumping in of safe blood into the national pool of blood banks that is starved of unpaid donors.
Formally launching a promotional video CD of www.friends2support.org, at the VJF Press Club here on the occasion of World Blood Donors' Day, Assistant Director Drug Administration Ravi Udaya Bhaskar said that World Health Organisation had given the slogan ‘New Blood for the World' for this year's celebration, which was getting fulfilled through such registries.
Giving a call to various groups of employees and persons attached to medical fraternity and students to support the cause being espoused by the Friends To Support Organisation, he opined that unless large number of youth from the urban centres came forward to donate blood frequently, the large gap between need and supply could not be bridged. Currently only 30 to 40 per cent of the need was being met nationally, he observed.
Active support
Expressing concern over lack of zeal among some people and members of some NGOs in physically donating blood, while indulging in acquiring huge media publicity, he promised to actively support such awareness efforts to bring in large number of new donors.
Highlighting the need for donating blood on a regular basis, former Vice-Chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna University V. Balamohandas reminded the gathering of a National record the university had set up by physically donating 2,041 units on a single day on the campus. Appreciating the appeal for helping fellow human beings in the 3-minute video `Donate Blood Save Life', he said one unit of blood these days was being segregated into components and saving three lives.
He recounted his association with the F2S since 2006 in Guntur, where this national initiative had begun.
Andhra Pradesh Law University Registrar A. Subrahmanyam recounted how an employee in their university had benefited from the database of the website in getting a donor of a rare blood group in Visakhapatnam a couple of months ago. The www.friends2support.org volunteers Harish, Deepak and others distributed `Blood Security-cum-Identity card' after the video was screened.
Loses chance to receive UN honour, thanks to his name
Special CorrespondentImmigration officials at Delhi ‘botch’ up Shaik Khasim Shareef’s trip to Mexico to receive the award
GUNTUR: His name kept him away from an international honour -- the only Indian youth entry to win an award at the United Nations Millennium Goals from among 600 participants, thanks to the immigration officials who detained him in New Delhi.
Narsaraopet-based Friends To Support Organisation was chosen by the United Nations for an international honour -- World Youth Summit Award Runner-up in ‘Fight Hunger, Poverty and Disease’ category to receive the award at Monterry in Mexico between September 2 and 5.
On receiving communication from the hosts, founder of the organisation Shaik Khasim Shareef, working as web designer in Hyderabad, got the Mexican visa and boarded an Air India flight at Hyderabad for Mexico via New Delhi after proper immigration check at 8.10 p.m. on August 31.
A change of flight was needed at New Delhi as direct flights were not available to Mexico.
At New Delhi, he was cleared at the Immigration check and luggage put on board the flight scheduled to leave for Mexico via Chicago at 12.05 a.m. on September 1.
But just before boarding the plane some officials stopped him for a check allegedly going by his name.
After checking his papers, he was denied entry into the plane saying he needed a transit visa of the U.S. as the plane touched Chicago airport though he would continue in the same aircraft.
This came as a surprise to him as the hosts had clearly communicated to him that no transit visa was needed.
He had even enquired at the Mexican Consulate at New Delhi while getting his visa to confirm that he did not need a U.S. transit visa.
To petition President“The behaviour of the airline staff towards me was only due to my name. They did not allow me to go into airport and put me on a Hyderabad flight only after 24 hours of waiting in the lounge without my passport,” Mr. Shareef told The Hindu.
“I propose to represent this matter to the President of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation and the top officials of the airlines,” he added.
DetainedMr. Shareef said he was detained despite his plea to verify his identity from employers/host organisers and about the Friends To Support Organisation running www.friends2support.org website for providing contact information of voluntary blood donors on the Internet.
He was escorted to the luggage area of the aircraft by four gun-toting security officials to identify his luggage which was deplaned.
The flight got delayed by one hour and left for Chicago without Mr. Shareef.
When contacted the organisers apologised for the incident, but could not do anything.
A chance to let genuine voice be heard by people from all over the world on voluntary blood donation awareness using Internet, was lost.
The rewards are global recognition within the United Nations, invitations to the WSYA Winners events in Mexico and networking contacts on a global scale. Those who rely on the web for creating culture, overcoming gender inequality, lack of education and access to clean water or to address hunger, poverty, disease and environmental degradation, were asked to take part in this contest.
The winners will showcase their projects to government and business leaders, representatives of civil society and the international community. All the 612 projects were evaluated in a three-round judging process by an international jury of 20 experts in the fields of youth engagement, new media and social entrepreneurship.
The Winners were:
Category 1: FIGHT HUNGER, POVERTY & DISEASE!
Also among the Top 5 are the Runner-Ups...
- "mPedigree" by Ashifi Gogo (28), Ghana
- "Friendstosupport Organisation" by Shaik Shareef (28), India
Winners in Other categories:
Category 2: EDUCATION FOR ALL!
The Runner-Ups in this category are...
- "Youthinfo" by Antoaneta Ivanova (30), Macedonia
- "Shilpa Sayura Project" by Dhanajaya Subash (26), Sri Lanka
Category 3: POWER 2 WOMEN!
The Power 2 Women Runner-Up is...
- "Yemeni Feminist Activists" by Amal Al-Ashtal (23), Yemen
Category 4: CREATE YOUR CULTURE!
Another three Runner-Ups (equaly graded) are...
- "Strengthening Networks in Turkey :Young Human Network" by Basak Saral (28), Turkey
- "Youth Culture Portal HC.LV" by Deniss Fedotovs (30), Latvia
- "Facebook Application 'Intercultural'" by Stephan Hamberger (21), Austria
Category 5: GO GREEN!
The three Runner-Ups (equaly graded) in this category are...
- "Effects of Climate Change on the Environment" by Abe Fergusson (18), Trinidad & Tobago
- "MRP Green Project" by Jessie James Marcellones (22), Philippines
- "Green Bulgaria" by Julian Kuntorov (14), Bulgaria
The school students --17 girls and 15 boys -- carried flags of www.friends2support.org and distributed pamphlets in Telugu and English requesting the people enroute to register themselves on the website so that they can donate to any one who needed blood in emergencies. They shouted slogans `Donate Blood Save Lives’; `Raktha Daanam Cheyyandi - Moodu Jeevithalunu rakshinchandi’.
Students well-wisher and a mathematics teacher Swarna Kumar flagged off the rally from Syamalanagar and the students returned to the same spot at 6.30 p.m. Making stops at Collectorate Junction, Brodipet 14/4 junction, Sankar Vilas Junction, Lakshmipuram Mother Teresa Statue junction and a NTR Stadium in Brundavan Gardens before winding their way back to Syamalanagar via Gujjannagundla.
The students said their final examinations were over, so they did not want to waste their time by just going round without purpose and took up this cause to spread awareness among people on need for voluntary blood donation. Students led by Saketh, Chaitra, Rachana, Abhishek, and others began the cycle journey from Pattabhipuram Rythu Bazar on the Ring Road, came into Brodipet 14th Lane and pedaled their way upto Sankar Vilas Junction and stopped at a couple of places to distribute pamphlets to bystanders.
Scarcity of voluntary blood donors is a common phenomenon in India with someone requiring blood every two seconds.
Spreading awareness on need for donating blood voluntarily and to have a comprehensive `Registry’ of Blood Donors is of prime importance today, said the friends2support volunteers.
