In his message on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day 2024, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, encouraged young people, 18 years and above, to give blood.
The message of the Health Minister was delivered by the Director General Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. B. Ori, this morning, at a commemoration ceremony held at the Loreto College, Port Louis where a blood donation activity was organised.
The event was marked by various students from different colleges taking the Blood Donors Association's 15 Pledge, that involves committing themselves to give their blood at least 15 times during the course of their lives.
Certificates and shields were also remitted to students who participated in the making of a sensitisation campaign targeting young blood donors.
Through his message, Dr Jagutpal paid tribute to blood donors as the unsung heroes whose altruism and compassion, he emphasised, contribute to the well-being of countless individuals.
The theme for this year's event,"20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors!" is to thank individuals who donate blood and also encourage more young people to become new donors.
According to statistics, the number of blood donors who have been regularly accomplishing this noble cause are also ageing and there are not enough sufficient new donors, thus the need to encourage our young people, 18 years and above to give blood.
It is recalled that around 150 pints of blood are needed in hospitals and private clinics on a daily basis. Consequently, the Blood Transfusion Service needs to maintain a minimum stock of 600 to 700 units daily to provide for hospitals and private clinics. From July last year to May 2024, a total of 53,000 units of blood were collected compared to 50,000 pints in the previous period. Moreover, this year, as at 1st of June, 23,000 units of blood have already been collected and the objective is to collect at least 55,000 pints of blood by end of December.
An increase in Platelet Apheresis has also been noted with 272 procedures performed during the last year compared to 148 in the previous period, due to the Dengue outbreak and to a rise in the number of cancer patients.
On behalf of the Health Minister, Dr Ori expressed gratitude to the Blood Donors Association and all its members for their contribution to this noble cause since the last 25 years, as well as to all NGOs and Associations for regularly organising blood donations.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The World Health Organisation Representative in Mauritius, Dr Anne Ancia, on her part, highlighted that today's event is an opportunity to honour the millions of donors who have been donating their blood.
She dwelt on the importance of having the contribution of everyone in this noble exercise of blood donation, underlining the need for more women to participate in the exercise. Some 33% of the world blood donors are women, whilst in Mauritius it stands at only 16%, she remarked.
Further elaborating on the noble act of giving blood, she underpinned the feeling of satisfaction that one can have in contributing to save the life of many people.
Activities organised to mark the World Blood Donor Day 2024
To mark this year's event, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has organised a National Blood Donation Campaign with the collaboration of the Blood Donor's Association around the island. The campaign has started since the 07 June 024 and will be held till the 21 June 2024.
Blood Collection activities will kickstart on 15 June 2024 from 9 a.m to 4 p.m at Super U of Flacq, Goodlands, Tamarin and Grand Bay as well as at the Christian Revival Centre in Rivière des Anguilles and at the District Council of Quartier Militaire.
