World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14th every year to commemorate the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the father of Transfusion Medicine. The theme for World Blood Donor Day 2024 is “20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors!”
To celebrate this milestone, the Department of Transfusion Medicine at Kauvery Hospital Vadapalani, Chennai, organized a series of events throughout the Blood Donor Month of June 2024. These events aimed to:
- Thank and recognize voluntary blood donors
- Raise awareness regarding voluntary blood donation
- Promote a culture of regular blood donation among young people and the general public
- Share best practices in transfusion
- Address stakeholders responsible for the flow of blood from a donor vein to a patient vein
Key Events and Activities
Tree of Life
A real-life model of a tree was created to promote registration of voluntary blood donors. This “Tree of Life” initiative saw 70 individuals from the general public and many in-house staff, including doctors, eagerly registering their names and pledging to become voluntary blood donors.
Simple Games
Simple games were organized to spread awareness regarding blood donation and good transfusion practices. The general public and in-house staff enthusiastically participated, gaining knowledge about the importance of voluntary blood donation, the frequency and criteria for donation, foods that boost hemoglobin and platelet count, and best transfusion practices.
Voluntary Blood Donation Camps
Kauvery Blood Centre participated in voluntary blood donation camps organized by various NGOs and corporate sectors, collecting around 150 units of blood during June 2024. Donors were motivated and encouraged to donate blood regularly. The donors were provided with Kauvery Blood Centre’s 24/7 blood donor Helpline number to contact in case of queries regarding blood donation and donor related health issues.
Felicitation of Voluntary Blood Donors
A felicitation ceremony for regular, repeat, and voluntary blood donors was held at the Kauvery Hospital Vadapalani auditorium on June 22nd 2024. Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-founder and Executive Director of Kauvery Group of Hospitals, addressed the voluntary blood donors, emphasizing the need for regular and voluntary blood donations, their impact on the community and role in sustaining a safe blood inventory. He urged the audience to come forward to donate blood and motivate their friends and relatives to do the same to balance the dearth of voluntary blood donation post COVID. The chief guest lauded the selfless acts of voluntary blood donors, their generosity and efforts in saving lives. Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj and Mr. Kingsley, Director of Operations- Kauvery Hospital Vadapalani felicitated 10 voluntary blood donors followed by a cake cutting celebration.
Dr. Shanmugha Priya R.A, Consultant – Transfusion Medicine, Kauvery Hospital Vadapalani gave an update on a series of events organized by Department of Transfusion Medicine, Kauvery hospital Vadapalani, Chennai during the Blood donor month of June 2024. She thanked various NGOs and corporate sectors for organizing voluntary blood donation camps. She added that the donors in the camp were motivated and encouraged to donate blood regularly along with tips to maintain their health.
Continuing Medical Education Programme
A Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme titled “CLINICAL TRANSFUSION MEDICINE, A TEAM SPORT! – CURRENT TRENDS AND CHALLENGES” was held on June 22nd, 2024, at Kauvery Hospital Vadapalani, Chennai, under the aegis of the Indian Society of Transfusion Medicine (ISTM). The CME brought together Kauvery Hospital’s talented clinicians and Transfusion Medicine physicians from across Chennai and Vellore for learning, collaboration, and knowledge sharing in Clinical Transfusion Medicine.
The CME featured expert talks and interactive sessions with other specialty consultants. Discussions covered a range of topics, including Recent Trends in Blood Components & Cellular Therapy, Overview on Apheresis – Conventional Therapies & Recent Advances, A panel discussion on the critical review of lab-side and bedside challenges in Transfusion Medicine, Good Transfusion practices, and patient blood management. The caliber of the presentations, views of chairpersons, depth of panel discussions, and insightful questions from the audience made the CME a resounding success.
The Tamil Nadu Medical Council recognized the participation of speakers and attendees by awarding TNMC credit points. Many Transfusion Medicine postgraduate students from Chennai gained valuable insights and practical strategies from the CME to improve transfusion services and patient blood management outcomes.The CME thus provided new opportunities and encouragement for Transfusion Medicine physicians and clinicians to embrace teamwork and camaraderie
Department of Transfusion Medicine, Kauvery Hospital Vadapalani takes immense pride and pleasure in organising a series of events during the Blood donor month of June 2024 to take part in “20 years of celebrating giving” by thanking our voluntary donors, highlighting the importance of voluntary blood donation and emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts of Clinicians and Transfusion Medicine physicians to ensure safe and effective transfusion practices.
