E-Paper
KGMU e-cards come in handy for blood donors
The duly filled and signed e-cards are issued by the blood bank and transferred via WhatsApp to the donor.
A young couple from Aishbagh in Lucknow entered the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) blood bank to voluntarily donate blood, an activity which has almost come to a standstill since imposition of the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown.
A blood donor e-pass issued by the KGMU made the donation possible.
“The passes are now being issued to interested donors as voluntary donation has become negligible though the need remains the same — around 190 units per day,” said Prof Tulika Chandra, head of the department of transfusion medicine at KGMU and head of the state blood bank on the campus.
The step was taken as, otherwise, donors could not reach hospital. So, they asked Prof Chandra to find a solution.
“They were unable to reach (hospital) as they did not have any document, such as a requisition form from a doctor,” said Prof Chandra, the brain behind the ‘Covid-19 voluntary blood donor’ cards.
These duly filled and signed e-cards are issued by the blood bank and transferred via WhatsApp to the donor. “The police too know about these cards now,” she said.
The donors can carry these cards on their cell phones and show them to the police on the way. The cards also mention the route to be taken and the date on which the pass has to be used, so that there is no scope for misuse.
The Aishbagh couple, Brijesh Singh and Buddhamitra, went to KGMU with these cards.
“The husband donated blood while the wife could not do so due to a fitness issue. But she can come again after a few days. We respect the gesture that voluntary blood donors are showing to maintain adequate stock in the blood and save lives,” said Prof Chandra.
Voluntary donors can contact the blood bank and mention their details. If a person is find eligible, an e-pass will be sent to his or her cell phone with the name, cell phone number and address. As it is valid only on a specific date, it cannot be used for any other purpose or day.
