Rakta Kranti

A problem... A challenge faced by today's blood transfusion services in Bangalore.... How do we achieve Safe and Sustainable Blood supply in the city? Why is that people really don't come forward to donate blood? Well it's simply because they are never asked to donate.... And so... Rakta kranti is attempt to bring in 100% voluntary blood donation in Bangalore by takin the message straight to the community. For the first time we spoke about 100% blood donation was in the inaugaration of Project DISHA. And by March 2007, We came up with a plan- "Engineering safe Blood Transfusion", where we invited the top blood transfuion specialists in the city to come and share their ideas on blood donation. Student representatives from various colleges were invited. There were people from industries. It was a very knowledgable event where we learnt about the blood donation process and the critical aspects of blood banking. But all through the event we had one thing on our mind- how do we achieve safe and sustainable blood supply? How to increase voluntary blood donation? And we came up with one solution i.e to approach 300 colleges in Bangalore and request them to conduct camps in their college. In the following week, there were vigourous camps and our volunteers visited the colleges takin the message of blood donation, asking them to conduct camps in their colleges. But the response that we got was far from what was expected. the principals where so indifferent to everything regarding blood Donation. They were not interested in everything we had for them. But this didn't even tempt us to give up. Our volunteers are working on thier skills when they can come up to a level when they can answer all thier doubts and convence them to have camps in their colleges. while our volunteers were visiting colleges, on the other hand we got break through camps from Trianz consulting ltd, Bangalore. 72 units of blood was collected in a camp of 3 hrs by a company of 300 employees. This set the right pace for things to follow. And followed by that A camp was conducted by Rajareshwari English medium high school. 22 units of blood was collected by Lion's blood Bank. And This camp came because of the efforts of a single person, the determination os a single person. RAKTA KRANTI is gearing up. There are 5 companies lined up for camps in may and june. One thing that we have learn't is that Change is something that is resisted by oue society. It'll take time to achieve 100% voluntary blood donation. And we are not stopping until we achieve it.... JAI HIND