SRIKAKULAM: Though there is a crisis in the availability of blood and blood banks have low stock or sometimes there won’t be any stock at all during the lockdown period, 'Aa Naluguru Seva Sangham', a youth association, members donated nearly 400 units of blood to the people in an emergency condition.
The association members donated blood to emergency patients in Ichchapuram, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Hyderabad, and even Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The team was started with 50 members at Ichchapuram two years ago with an aim to donate blood to patients and pregnant women in emergencies. Now, it has 2,500 members in AP, Telangana, Odisha, and Andamans.
Gummadi Chandramma of Borada village in Ganjam district of Odisha was admitted to hospital for delivery in Ichchapuram about 10 days ago and the doctors wanted O Positive blood immediately. Coming to know about 'Aa Naluguru', her family contacted its joint secretary Balla Supraja Devi seeking O positive blood. With the support of coordinator Kalla Jayadev Yadav of Ichchapuram, they arranged two O positive blood group donors.
“When we contacted Supraja Devi over phone seeking B Positive blood group donors, she managed to send two B Positive blood group donors,” said K Bhagya Laxmi of Mutyallammapeta who underwent surgery about a week ago. Pichuka Papa Rao of Geddavuru in Mandasa mandal, whose father died of kidney disease, founded Aa Naluguru.
Appa Rao said that he had experienced difficulty in arranging blood to his father during dialy-sis. He formed the association after the death of his father in June 2018. He then started uploading the services on the social media groups to inspire others. Inspired with the services, about 2,500 volunteers joined the group. Under the banner of 'Aa Naluguru', he formed local groups in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Hyderabad, Kakinada, Berhampur and Andamans. Papa Rao said that they had donated blood to 3,800 patients till now.