Marking the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, DLF Foundation, in collaboration with Rotary Blood Centre Gurugram, organised a two-week-long blood donation drive to encourage young professionals and the community members in Gurugram to participate in this worthy cause. The theme of this year is a blood donation drive as an act of solidarity. It highlights the fundamental human values of altruism, respect, empathy, and kindness which underline and sustain voluntary unpaid blood donation systems. DLF Foundation has embraced the slogan, “GBSL – Give blood. Share life”, to draw attention to the roles that voluntary donation systems play in encouraging people to care for one another and generate social ties and a united community.
The drive was organised from 16th June – to 29th June 2022 across various DLF Clubs in Gurugram. All the venues were provided with proper medical assistance, beds, and doctors to monitor the participants post-donation and for providing medical guidance. The initiative witnessed wide participation from 227 people, residing in various parts of the city, and 227 units of blood were collected during this day-long camp. All donors were offered a pack of juice and biscuit, along with a small gift and a donor card.
“Applauding the initiative, Gayatri Paul, CEO, DLF Foundation said, “Blood Donation costs nothing, but it can mean the world to someone in need. It has been observed that Post Covid vaccination people are wary of donating blood, perceiving it as risky. We urge our community to come out, donate blood and save lives. Only those who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have shown symptoms of infection must wait to donate blood until they have been symptom-free for at least 14 days.”
Nearly 120 million units of blood are donated every year. However, this is not sufficient to meet the global need. Many patients requiring a transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood. Blood cannot be stored indefinitely, meaning there is a constant need for donations. Regular donations are required to ensure there is always a supply for those in need. Despite the global need, donation rates differ around the world and some high-income countries see up to seven times more donations than low-income countries.
On this occasion Girish Sehgal, Senior Vice-President- Super-Luxury Operations, DLF said; “Blood donation is the most precious gift that a person can give – the gift of life. The blood banks in the country are currently facing an acute shortage, and your decision to donate blood can very well be the difference if the person survives or doesn’t. Seeing the active participation of the DLF employees and members was really heart-warming”.
DLF Foundation was established in 2008 as the philanthropic arm of the DLF Group. The DLF Foundation’s vision is to transform communities they work with through high-impact interventions in spheres of education, healthcare, and social sustainability with the resolve of enabling a better quality of life, backed by sustainable ecosystems for all stakeholders within the immediate and extended communities.