SPEECH OF HON’BLE GOVERNOR PUNJAB AND ADMINISTRATOR, UT CHANDIGARH, SHRI BANWARILAL PUROHIT ON THE OCCASION OF LAUNCHING OF MO AND MINNO SAMBHI APHERESIS CENTRE AT SECTOR 37 CHANDIGARH ON OCTOBER 1, 2022 AT 5.30 PM

I am extremely happy to inaugurate the Mo and Minno Sambhi Apheresis Centre today. I know the Rotary and Blood Bank Society Resource Centre set up by the two NGO’s have been running an excellent service in the city and the region of providing safe, tested blood to those in need.

Apheresis Centre is yet another feather that has been added to their cap as it would provide blood components to the needy patients – especially those of Dengue and Cancer.

Friends,

A blood transfusion service is an integral and vital part of any health care delivery system. India being a country of about 1.4 billion people requires around 14 million units of blood annually.

However, if we go by the statistics, then we come to know that the annual blood collection in our country is around 11 million units leaving a gap of nearly 3 million units.

I believe that the gap in demand and supply of blood in our country can be decreased by 2 ways. First is by promoting voluntary blood donation and second is by promoting blood component separation and its usage which I believe will be done in this newly established Apheresis Centre. As I gather, one unit of blood can be separated into 3-4 components, which can cater the component specific needs of 3 to 4 patients.

We are celebrating the 75th year of our Independence. Over these seven and half decades, various health indices have improved considerably in the country. Life expectancy at birth has increased, infant and maternal mortality have greatly reduced and many deadly diseases such as smallpox and polio have been completely eradicated. We have fought against COVID-19 in a remarkable manner.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Though India has made significant inroads in the healthcare sector since independence, a lot more still remains to be done, especially in the field of Blood Donation. We need to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of blood to meet the World Health Organization mandates.

Blood should be waiting for the patient and not the vice-versa.

I am happy at the fact that Chandigarh has played a pioneering role promoting voluntary blood donation right from the early 1960’s when the movement was spearheaded by Dr.J.G. Jolly and Padma Shri Kanta Saroop Krishen.

As per national AIDS Control Organisation, New Delhi, Chandigarh is the best performing state in the country with more than 90% of its blood collection from voluntary donors. This is way above national average.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

We are a race that has inherited a spirit of
Sewa and Sacrifice. Philanthrophy, benevolence, charitableness is an indelible part of our history, and our culture and tradition.

I am sure all of you must, at one point of time or the other, heard of the “Tyaag” / Selflessness of Maharishi Dadhichi or of King Shibi Rana who donated his flesh to save the life of a dove or of Karna donating his “Kavach & Kundal” / his natural armour and ear-rings to Lord Indra.

Infact, we belong to land of Hind Ki Chaadar, Sri Guru Teg Bhahadur Ji, Sarbans Daani Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Coming down to recent past, we have had personalities like Bhagat Puran Singh who dedicated their lives to humanitarian work.

Given our rich culture and tradition of Sewa & Sehyog, we just can’t shy away from the humanitarian cause of blood donation.

Donating blood is a great service to the society and humanity and it also fulfils our National Requirement.

If we look back to the mid of last month, we see that over a hundred thousand (100,000) people donated blood in the “Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav” which began on the birthday of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, creating a ‘World Record’.

So, the blood donation scenario is by no means is bleak. All we need to do is to increase public awareness of the importance of voluntary blood donation, motivate them for the noble cause and simultaneously dispel all myths, doubts and misconceptions surrounding blood donation.

In order to launch intensive awareness programmes for donor information, education, motivator recruitment and retention, the concerted efforts of government need to be complemented by active support of NGOs.

In this direction, I greatly appreciate the large hearted donation of 5 Lac dollars to the Blood Centre by Mo and Minno Sambhi Foundation which was facilitated by Mr.M.L.Sarin.

I hope more people and organisations come forward to financially support such activities which help the society as a whole.

Today being, October 1, the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day, I would like to thank all blood donors for their gift of life. And at the same time, I would strongly encourage everyone gathered here; people in good health who have never given blood, particularly young people, to begin doing so.

Dear friends, we have one life let us make our one life more meaningful by donating blood. This is perhaps the only donation which directly gives life to another human being.

So friends, let us make a promise to donate blood at least once in a year.

“Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters .” You will never know when the blood you give becomes a gift of life to someone who urgently needs a blood transfusion to survive.

I wish you all the best for the future. Keep up the good work.

Thank you

Jai Hind.