Mangaluru : There is a need to look into the possibility of long-time storage of blood and increasing the capacity at blood banks, said MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.

He was speaking as the chief guest during the World Blood Donor Day held at the Regional Advanced Paediatric Care Centre (RAPCC), District Wenlock Hospital, in Mangaluru on Wednesday.

There was a time when the relatives of a patient panicked when doctors asked them to arrange for blood units. The situation has changed today, as there are donors who come forward voluntarily to save lives. The storage facilities for blood are, however, limited. More attention needs to be given towards increasing the storage capacity of blood units and their various components at the blood banks, the MP said.

Kateel, meanwhile, said that there are a lot of misnomers connected to blood donation and such beliefs should be ruled out. All healthy people aged between 18 and 60 years can donate blood once in three months, he added.

Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr M R Ravi opined that blood donation is one of the highest forms of humanitarian service as it saves lives. Any donation can, however, gain significance only when there is proper awareness on the same. Even though many people are donating blood, there is always shortageat blood units during emergencies, he said.

The officer also expressed his concern on anaemia cases which still exist. The young generation is becoming victim to anaemia, due to its obsession to gain sleek figures and has not been giving due importance to health.

Indian Red Cross Society district unit president C A Shantaram Shetty presided over the programme. He said that a mobile vehicle for collection of blood has been sanctioned to the district unit of IRCS and will be available for service within the next two to three months. The vehicle will move especially to remote areas, to collect blood from donors.

He further said that the IRCS has submitted a memorandum to the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice P P Chaudhary, requesting an amendment of Section 135 of Companies Act (on CSR). This will enable companies to reserve 25% of their Corporate Social Responsibility funds.

Blood donors and organisers of blood donation camps were felicitated on the occasion.

Vijaya Bank DGM Sudhakar Naik, Dr Shantaram Baliga, Dr Annaiah Kulal and IRCS blood bank Manager Ravindra Shetty were present.