Report: Shodhan Prasad
Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai
Photos: Ashok Belman (GK)

Dubai, Dec 4: Mogaveers UAE as every year this year too successfully conducted ‘Blood Donation’ Campaign at Al Wasl Hospital, Dubai on Friday December 2 10 am to 2.30 pm.

This year the campaign was dedicated to the Country's 40th National Day celebration, as president of Mogaveers, L V Puthran handed over a memento to Al Wasl Hospital Blood Donation Centre's acting Head of Marketing and Recruitment Reem Khamis Al Suwaidi at the hospital premises. He thanked the authorities for being tolerant and supportive in the campaign every year and promised more contribution to the Blood Bank from all the Indian communities living in UAE. Madam Reem Khamis Al Suwaidi also thanked all those donors largely hailing from Mangalore in Karnataka and wished them good health and success. The Donors poured in great numbers from various parts of UAE into Al Wasl Hospital enthusiastically for this great cause.

It was also great to see presidents and office-bearers of most of the regional community associations of Karnataka together in one place for this noble cause. The blood donation campaign is being headed by Balakrishna Salian, vice president of Mogaveer UAE who is the torch holder of this campaign not only for Mogaveers but also taking lead in combing all the regional associations of Karnataka at Dubai Blood Donation Centre. This time they created a record with more than 100 numbers participation.

As per the Dubai Blood Donation Centre (DBDC), the need for blood is ongoing and must be met every day. The demand for blood is growing faster than the collection rate and DBDC has been requested to have an instant response to the rapid growth in blood demand which is obviously proportionate to the fast growing population of the city along with healthcare facilities. The seasonal blood shortage obviously occurs in the holy month of Ramadan and through the summer holiday. DBDC is the only blood supplier in Dubai. Its services extend to Thalassemia patients (Thalassemia Center at Al Wasl Hospital), road accident and burn victims (Trauma Centre at Rashid Hospital), patients with neonates and maternity health complications (Al Wasl Hospital), cases diagnosed with cancer or scheduled for open heart operations (Dubai Hospital) as well as to all private health facilities within Dubai that are entitled for transfusion services.

The Members volunteered along with hospital authorities were busy welcoming donors and filling up the required forms, examining blood samples and getting ready for the extraction of blood all with smiles on their face. They were issued a ‘Donor Card’ exclusively as a proof of their support.

The campaign kicked off with good numbers of Mogaveers voluntarily taking part along with female members and youths. Other patriotic associations who have been willingly doing these types of blood donation campaigns are Karnataka Sangha Sharjah, UAE Amchigele Samaj, Ramarajya Khsatriya Sangha UAE, Padmashali UAE, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada Gowda Samaja Dubai, UAE Bunts, Billawas Dubai and Northern Emirates, Billawa Balaga Dubai who have already recorded their names in the list of blood donors of India in UAE.

Mogaveers blood donation campaign was given a boost with the support and participation of around 21 prominent community leaders like Sarvotham Shetty, president of Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha, Ganesh Rai ex-president of Karnataka Sangha Sharjah, vice president Yadav Kotian, Bala Salian, vice-president of Mogaveers UAE, Sudhakar Alva of UAE Bunts, president Harish Kodi and ex-president Ganesh Prasad of Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada Gowda Samaja Dubai, Ravi B Shettigar, president of Padmashali UAE, Satish Poojary and Anand Bailoor of Billawas Dubai and Northern Emirates, M Chandrashekar of Billawa Balaga Dubai, Ajit Nayak of UAE Amchigele Samaj, president Rajendra Pejavar and ex-president Shantaram Achar of Vishwakarma Seva Sangha, Sudhakar Thumbe of Yakshamitraru, Sandeep Rao president of Ramarajya Khsatriya Sangha, Rajesh Bekal of Margadeepa Sangha, Nithyanand of Mitra Koota, Daya Kirodian of Karnataka Sangha Dubai, Sugandhraj Bekal of Karnataka Sangha Sharjah, and Shodhan Prasad of Nama Tuluveru UAE. Also were Ashok Belman of Gulf Kannadiga and many other prominent members of Beary's Cultural Forum, Sindhi Association, Tamil Sangham and members of Malayalam Associations.

Strong team of Mogaveers including Balakrishna Salian, Yadav Kotian, Ravi Prakash Puthran, Vinod Kanchan, Purushottam Suvarna, Yatish Puthran, Deepak Raj Kotian, Gangadhar, Sunil Chitrapura, Rohit Akshat Salian, Satish Karkera, Jagannath Kunder, Sashidhar Suratkal, Sudhir Kanchan, Ravindra Salian, Karan Thingalaya and other members made this unique programme possible.

Organisers distributed fruits, juice and water to all the donors present during the campaign.