Adding impetus to our plans for an extension throughout the state of Karnataka is a donor registration programme being designed by the Emergency Wing volunteers of Sankalp. These volunteers take up blood requests from all corners of Karnataka and at times need to ask people to donate blood to satisfy the request.
A first such donor registration programme was held at Davangere. 3 volunteers from Sankalp visited the city and registered a huge number of blood donors to be added into our statewide database of donors. BIET college was visited first. It is an engineering college with a vast population of students studying in various branches. The principal had been informed earlier, permissions were taken and things were set up. The principal was not in city, but what was joyous to note was the fact that a circular had been sent to all departments and all teachers informing them about such an activity. Students from the college guided Sankalp volunteers into classes and it was more than easy to get the message through and register donors.
This high level of participation saw Sankalp register 516 interested blood donors. Kudos to the entire college management!. Several students also expressed a wish to work as volunteers for Sankalp. Furthermore the college also conducts 2 blood donation drives in a year :).
The Sankalp team later visited Bapuji Pharmacy College. Here although registering donors by visiting classes could not be done, the team got an assurance from the principal that we could seek their help incase of emergency blood requests. The college has an internal database of donors who are ready to respond at any time in the day or night.
In time to come more such programmes will make it's way into the Sankalp calenders!. A detailed proposal is being worked upon to formally push for such a programme across many more districts of the state