THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Reckoning that middle age persons are more susceptible to fatal disease like AIDS, the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) is planning to form a pool of low-risk, young blood donors in the state, in the 18 to 25 age group. “As we analysed the data for the last four years, we found it is the middle age group which contracts HIV more than youngsters. Of the 1,200 to 1,300 HIV positive cases reported in the state, about 65 per cent belongs to the 40 to 65 age group. It is after this that we decided to turn to youngsters who belong to the low-risk group,” said Dr Ramesh R, project director, KSACS.
Ramesh said there are already young donors and there will be an increased focus on them and a preliminary meeting has already been convened by the health secretary in this regard with officers concerned. According to KSACS, once educational institutions reopen after the summer vacation, the society will host a range of campaigns to prompt youngsters to take up blood donation.It is also learned the agency will also reach out to centres like Technopark, which have a large concentration of youngsters.
The project director added a discussion was already held with the Technopark management, according to which they will prompt techies to donate blood five days a week. “This initiative is expected to be launched in 10 days. We will park a mobile blood donation bank at the Technopark campus.
“We have also garnered the support of the Armed Forces, as well as that of the Kerala police, requesting them to ask new recruits to donate blood. Organisations like NSS, NCC and others have also pledged their support,” said Ramesh.
Meanwhile, it is said the pilot project will be launched in Thiruvananthapuram in which the daily demand of 350 units of blood for the five blood banks operating in the government sector - Regional Cancer Centre, Medical College Hospital, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, General Hospital and Women and Children Hospital - could be met by young, voluntary blood donors.