Govt working on app to list blood donors in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: The health department is working on an application to create a line list registry of regular blood donors at different geographical locations of the state, health minister Ma Subramanian said.

On the international blood donors' day, several hospitals, governments, and NGOs organised special blood donation camps, facilitated regular donors, conducted quizzes, and released pamphlets to create awareness about blood donation. Yet, relatives of patients in several hospitals, including ones that were organising blood camps, were forced to call relatives and friends to provide replacement blood. "My 70-year-old is undergoing heart surgery and doctors wanted at least five units of fresh blood as doctors felt components aren't as good. We live alone and it was tough calling people on a working day," said the 76-year-old retired banker (name withheld).

The state collected 3.4 lakh units of blood in 2021 and gave them free of cost to various hospitals and this has saved the lives of several poor and needy people, Subramanian said. "But this may not be adequate. There are some people who regularly donate blood. Every unit of blood they donate helps at least four people. But this may not be enough, we need more people to volunteer," he said. Earlier, Subramanian, who is among regular donors, donated blood at one of the camps organised by the government. The state has 97 government blood banks, 220 private blood banks, 320 government and 139 private blood collection centres. "As promised in the state assembly, we will create more blood banks and collection centres soon," he said.

Medicines for HIV/AIDS at private hospitals

Antiretrovirals, the drug of choice for people living with HIV/AIDS, will be available in private medical colleges, health minister Ma Subramanian said.