Vikasana, the Social Service Club of the students of IIM Bangalore has been taking on initiatives to provide service to the needy and underprivileged sections of society. One such step was the blood donation camp which was held at EB Dining Hall on the 19th of July, 2014 at IIM Bangalore. The camp, held in association with Prayaas, the social service initiative of EPGP and Red Cross Society, saw a total turnout of 223 people willing to donate blood. It recorded a total of 173 successful blood donations, the highest ever in the history of Vikasana’s bi-annual blood donation camps.
The camp started at 10:00 AM and extended till 5.00 PM. Professor Sourav Mukherji, the PGP Chairperson, was the first to arrive at the camp. This was followed by a stream of students, faculty and staff members. The camp also witnessed active participation from the EPGP, PGSEM and FPM programmes. After a basic checkup the donors were taken to a room where they each donated 450 ml of blood to save someone’s life. Refreshments consisting of juice, fruits and biscuits were provided to the donors. Huge diversity was noticed among the donors. Some, who had been donating on a regular basis; while others who were first timers, got rid of their apprehensions. One commonality was the smile on everyone’s face after giving blood.
This year, Vikasana also associated with the Student Alumni Committee by inviting Datri, an organization which works to create a database of Blood Stem Cell donor profiles, to be a part of the Blood Donation Camp. Prof. Janaki Anant, a PGSM alumnus from IIMB and associated with Datri helped facilitate this event. More than 70 people registered as donors with Datri and we hope the number of registration increases as the awareness spreads.
The camp was a success thanks to the tireless efforts of Vikasana coordinators, Prayaas Coordinators, Red Cross Society, Datri and the Hostel Staff. The enthusiasm of donors was a key ingredient in enabling a smooth progress throughout the day. As the years go by, the turnout of donors and awareness of the camp increases. The next Blood Donation Camp will again be held in February where an even greater turnout is expected.