Govt promotes blood donation amid Covid-19 lockdown, issues guidelines
After partial relief in lockdown at select places, the government is now looking at promoting blood donation, especially for Thalassemic and Hemophilic patients. In a letter to state blood transfusion councils (SBTC), the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) promoted voluntary blood donation programmes across the country. In the letter, it noted that due to the national lockdown from March 25, there was limited movement of Blood Mobile and Transportation vans, and blood donations. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a communication to the chief secretaries, administrators, Cmmissioner of Police of all the states to facilitate the movement of blood mobile/ transportation vans and blood donors. In a letter to all the state health ministers, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan termed that availability of blood in blood banks as 'essential'. "We are cognizant of the situation ...