Gorakhpur (UP), Sep 16: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday called for greater efforts to promote voluntary blood donation and urged doctors to help curb the practice of professional blood donation, warning that it could pose a serious risk of infections.
Speaking at the inauguration of an Indian Medical Association (IMA) charitable blood centre in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said blood could not be manufactured despite advances in medical technology and infrastructure, and described voluntary donation as an expression of sensitivity towards those in need.
“My appeal to all of you is that we are unable to meet the demand for blood with adequate supply. Doctors should use social media platforms at their level to motivate people for voluntary donations and issue appeals from time to time,” he said.
He also urged doctors to bring cases of professional donors suffering from various diseases to the notice of the government and administration and help create awareness against the practice.
“If professional donors suffering from various diseases are not checked, we may face a serious crisis of infections in the future,” he said, adding that “effective action is needed to preserve public confidence in the medical profession and blood donation system.”
Adityanath praised the Gorakhpur unit of the IMA for starting the charitable blood centre and a free outpatient department, saying it reflected the medical fraternity’s social responsibility.
The CM said he had earlier visited IMA-run blood banks in Varanasi, Prayagraj and Bareilly and wanted a similar facility in Gorakhpur.
He also highlighted improvements in healthcare infrastructure in the region, saying Gorakhpur now had BRD Medical College with super-speciality facilities and AIIMS, while medical colleges had also been established in several neighbouring districts.
Adityanath said the number of MBBS seats in UP had risen from around 4,600 to more than 13,500, while postgraduate seats had doubled. He also mentioned proposed centres of excellence in med-tech with IIT Kanpur and at SGPGI, Lucknow.
The CM said Gorakhpur and UP had also witnessed major improvements in the management of encephalitis and access to healthcare compared with the situation seven-eight years ago. (PTI)
