On the occasion of World Health Day, National Social Summit, the IIT Roorkee chapter and National Cadet Corps, IIT Roorkee organised a Blood Donation Camp. The registrations began beforehand, and there were 1000+ registrations in total. The camp was set up in the Student Activity Centre, with proper beds and equipment arranged for the same. In the 9 hours for which it lasted, 850+ units of blood were collected. Each donor was provided with refreshments and gifts for their contribution to the cause. Selfie booths were set up for the donors to get their photos clicked. Most of the donors were first-timers and were very enthusiastic about donating. “It’s for a noble cause. The very fact that I’ll be of help to someone in need gives me a sense of satisfaction,” said one of the donors.

The camp was organised in association with three blood banks: Maa Ganga Blood Centre, IMA Dehradun and Mother Teresa Blood Bank. Proper safety measures were undertaken, with masks and gloves for all the staff and use of sanitiser after every prick. Watch Out! got the chance to interact with the Maa Gange Blood Bank. They told us about their target of around 650+ units of blood from the campus, for which they’d prepared around 800 units of equipment and refreshments.

They urged the students to motivate more people to donate blood. “I have noticed that students here are mentally very strong, so they are eager to donate blood. People generally feel lost when their blood is extracted, as if something has been taken from them, which I have not observed here.”

Watch Out! got the chance to talk to Mr. Suresh Kumar Saini, a world record holder in the number of times he’s donated blood. He has a total donation count of 223 units (blood 130 times and platelets 93 times).

Upon being asked about his experience with blood donation and the challenges he faces, he told “I started donating blood in December 1986, 35 years now. No issues. Blood donation has some misconceptions among the public. It does not cause any weakness. One needs to be mentally prepared, and that’s all. This blood one donates saves them from many diseases. For example, if one donates every three months, one won’t get high cholesterol, saving them from high bp and eventual heart diseases. Blood tests, which take a hefty amount of money otherwise, are done for free if you donate. ”

Talking about the students, he said “India has a young population. The demand of blood in India is 5 crore units. But only 50% is met. Even if 5-10% of the population volunteer to donate blood, nobody will die due to lack of blood.”

With 800+ units collected in total, the blood donation camp conducted by the NSS and the NCC gave the students of the college a chance to take part in this activity, effectively connecting the heavy demand to the students, and spreading awareness to the campus population.