The pathology department of JJM Medical College Davangere with it's associated blood bank at Bapuji Hospital organized a one day workshop on “Voluntary Blood Donation and Appropriate use of Blood Components” to promote voluntary blood donation and sensitize the medical fraternity about the need for rationale utilization of available blood resources.
The workshop was attended by several medical students and representatives of several educational institutions (NSS officer and 2 student leaders) from every nook and corner of Davangere. The workshop was presided over by eminent personalities and senior faculty from JJM Medical college, the district DAPCU officer and Dr Sundar P, Professor, Department of Transfusion Medicine, NIMHANS Bangalore.
Sankalp India Foundation was contacted by the workshop organising committee to deliver a talk on “Role of Technology in Networking of Blood Donors”. Since this event was to promote voluntary blood donation, our team accepted this invitation and delivered a 30-minute talk on the topic. The talk revolved on how to build a network of voluntary blood donors and organise voluntary blood donation drives. It stressed on how technology can play a vital role in connecting these like-minded people and take progressive steps towards greater availability of safe blood on the shelves of blood banks. The key message given was
“Create a community of blood banks, educational institutions, donors, students with a goal to ensure safe blood availability. Build a Technology backed network of the community by the community for the community.”
A simple 5 step solution approach was proposed to build this community within Davangere
1. Form a TEAM: Requires transparent participation of blood banks, colleges and blood donors. Collaborate with other organizations.
2. Define GOALS: The biggest goal must be to increase VBD in Davangere
3. Create a SOLUTION: Detail the responsibilities of the network (voluntary drives calendar, recruitment, retention of voluntary donors, motivation and information sharing, stock update etc). Make it a one stop Solution.
4. Make it PAPERLESS: Must be a technology based electronic network built using internet enabled tools.
5. Maintain it FOREVER: Should be maintained by technology inclined student communities. This ensures continuity irrespective of people.
Sankalp also offered to provide any help to build this network and nurture it in it's early stages. Sankalp encouraged the organisers to act immediately and take definite steps to build this. The message was taken well with several students, medical officers, NSS officers lauding the idea and inviting Sankalp to visit their institution to motivate students.
We are very happy to share that the organizers did take the suggestion positively and has already formed a small focused group within Davangere connected through What's App. The overall goals and next steps is something that they have plans to work on at the beginning of the next academic semester in January-February 2017”
* * *