As we are slowly inching towards the end of this extended lockdown period, reports have been doing rounds about the blood banks running low on reserves all over the city. The scare over COVID-19 had caused blood donation camps to stop operating the way it would in the past couple of weeks. This poses to be a problem as patients with underlying diseases are expected to flock over to the hospitals once the lockdown is over. However, this could prove to be fatal keeping the current scenario in mind.
Mumbai Live got in touch with Pranita Sonawadekar, a resident from Mahim, who recently took the initiative of conducting a blood donation camp in her housing society. Though a small attempt, such initiatives, create a bigger impact, by both helping the government in these times and spreading the word for positivity.
Talking about how she organised the blood donation camp, she said, "In the morning, we were listening to the news in the house about COVID-19 like usual, when the Health Minister of Maharashtra said that the state is suffering a shortage of blood. So I told my mother that I want to go and donate blood, help anyhow. My mother had concerns and did not want me to go to the hospital. So, I gave a call to Kutch Yuvak Sangh, where I am a regular blood donator and asked the trustee about the process to donate blood in these times. He said that I would have to go to Bandra and he was ready to get me a pass to be able to travel and donate blood over there. I further asked him if he could come and collect blood, he stated that he could only do so if a minimum of ten patients agreed to donate blood, wherein he could arrange for the van to come to our society."
Pranita has been donating blood since she was 18 and recollects the day when she visited Churchgate, and on her way back she saw a blood donation drive at the station. Her parents did not her allow to participate back then, but ever since, she has had the will to become a donor and has started donating blood regularly.
An aspiring student, Pranita wants to become a civil servant and aims to serve the nation in any possible way. Videos of IAS and IPS officers motivate her and she learns from those videos to ensure that she remains inspired
Adding more about the process and the challenges she faced, Pranita said, "All I did was approach people in my society and the complete area. I reached out to them individually and told them about the condition of the blood reserves, after which a few people agreed, and some were scared. I literally had to convince each one of them for 10-15 minutes. While few of them agreed, some did not, and it was okay, and I cannot force anyone since blood donation needs one's consent as a part of the process."
The city of Mumbai is currently facing a shortage of blood and government is definitely creating awareness about the need for more donors, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, when the cases have been increasing with every passing day. Amidst the pandemic, officials are trying to make people cautious about this matter, thereby asking them to step forward and support.
Lastly, shedding light on the lack of awareness amongst people regarding blood donation, she said, "While I was going around talking to people, I realized some of them were scared, and this also included young adults in their twenties and thirties. People should be made aware of the perks of donating blood as one is not only saving a life but are also becoming healthier in the process. I think students should be educated about this from the schools, as childhood is the time when one has the most impact on thoughts."
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