NEW DELHI: Observing increase in road accidents on the national highways , Union Minister Jitendra Singh emphasized on setting up blood banks along all major highways.
The minister said that with the number of road accidents constantly on the rise, the blood banks will supplement timely help to the needy at places where the government infrastructure is still inadequate.
While inaugurating the 40th annual national conference of Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohematology (ISBT), Singh said: “In the next phase, the same facility can also be replicated in the interior belts of rural and semi-urban areas.”
Singh said that they there is urgent need to set up readily available blood bank facility along all the major road highways across the country. He offered to collaborate with ISBT and related agencies to initiate this process from his own Lok Sabha constituency Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also said that team of experts will soon be visiting the districts of Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi in Jammu and Kashmir to work out an early implementation of this plan..
“From the experience gained from this area, the same campaign for upgraded empowerment of blood bank facility will also be extended to other states in different parts of the country, including the northeast” the Minister further pointed out.
He appreciated the efforts of ISBT and said that its role is not confined only to managing and executing blood transfusion but also spreading awareness among the society to encourage voluntary donations.
He also suggested that the representatives of the organisation should also be incorporated by the Health Ministry in the decision making process regarding blood transfusion and related matters.