Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated a Voluntary Blood Donation Campaign at AIIMS, New Delhi, here today. The camp, organized by AIIMS on the eve of Independence Day, is dedicated to both soldiers as well as COVID warriors who lost their life while safeguarding the country and its citizens. Two families were invited as guests of honor - one family of a martyred soldier and one family of a fallen COVID warrior of AIIMS.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the blood donation camp by cutting the ribbon and lighting the lamp along with Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS and other senior doctors. The Union Health Minister interacted with the blood donors and awarded them certificates for contributing to the blood donation drive. He encouraged the doctors and healthcare workers themselves to come up in large numbers on the eve of Independence Day to donate blood and save lives of patients. Dr Harsh Vardhan also expressed satisfaction that all precautions were being ensured at the camp including arrangement of face shield, masks, gloves etc.

Appreciating the initiative taken up by AIIMS, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “On the eve of our 73^rd Independence Day, this voluntary blood donation camp is a tribute to both fallen COVID white coat warriors and the Kargil martyrs. We must remember the ultimate sacrifice made by the  COVID warriors including doctors, nurses or paramedical staff while saving people’s lives in the pandemic.” To mark the event, the family members of COVID warrior Late Sh. Hiralal, who was a frontline health worker at AIIMS and family members of Kargil Shaheed Lance Naik Rajbir Singh were honoured for their sacrifice.

Highlighting the importance of voluntary blood donation, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “In view of COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions due to lock-down and apprehension about hospital environment, the number of voluntary donations and blood donation camps saw a significant decline. Blood is required for emergency surgeries, blood disorders like thalassemia, blood cancers and road traffic accidents and trauma cases. Hence the best way to serve human kind is voluntary blood donation”. He appealed that all Indians must honour the sacrifices of our warriors by contributing in some way in our daily lives to spread joy.

On India’s fight against COVID-19, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “India’s continuously rising Recovery Rate and progressively falling Case Fatality Rate have proven the success of the COVID-19 containment strategy followed by all States and UTs under the dynamic guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister. We have successfully ramped up our testing capacity which has crossed more than 8.4 lakh milestone today with more than 1450 testing labs spread across the country. I have confidence in the scientific developments taking place in the field of treatment and vaccines for COVID-19 and soon India will achieve more success in our fight against COVID-19.”

Various faculty and voluntary blood donors were present at the event

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HFW/HFM AIIMS Blood Donation/14Aug2020/1