Ooty: The students of the Government Arts College (GAC) here, the first ever college to have come up in the hills five decades ago, joined hands with Red Cross-Nilgiris for a unique project for blood donation to keep the three blood banks across the Nilgiris with ready availability of all groups of blood and to help in medical emergencies both in the hill and neighbouring districts also.
Stating that it is part of the ongoing community service programmes fashioned to celebrate the centenary of the Red Cross, Capt. K.R. Mani, chairman of Red Cross-Nilgiris, said that there is a myth in a certain section in the society that blood donation is not that good as it would make the donor to become physically weak. To prove it wrong, the students, the youth force of the country, should learn about the benefits of blood donation, which is a life saving activity of sorts, and to volunteer to donate blood to ensure enough stock of different blood groups in blood banks across the district.
In the first phase of camp held on Friday, 100 student volunteers were selected for blood donation in the campaign, he added.
Mr. Morris Santa Cruz, the secretary of Red Cross-Nilgiris, said that it was heartening to note that even the girl students volunteered for blood donation. The students can act as ambassadors of blood donation campaign to motivate every village in the hills to have a group of blood donors.
Stating that this campaign which began at GAC-Ooty should become emulative for others, Dr P.Balusamy, Deputy Director of Health Services, Nilgiris, said that through the blood donation campaigns the students should send the message to community at large to shoulder the responsibility for such projects.
