The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Hill districts inimical to blood donation
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 30
Notwithstanding the ever-rising demand for blood in the state, the health department’s efforts to set up blood banks in Uttarakhand have been rather slack. Hampered by a human resource crunch, the government has been unable to establish new blood banks in the state. The two new banks at Champawat and Rudrapur have so far failed to take off due to lack of trained technicians.

So much so the entire thrust of the voluntary blood movement is now limited to Dehradun and the vicinity. The total blood requirement in the state as per conservative estimates is around 70,000-80,000 units, considering that 1 per cent of the population requires blood per year.

In 2003 there were 17 blood banks and in 2008 the number stood at 23. Dehradun has six blood banks with one located at Doon Hospital and the others in private hospitals.

Due to the efforts of voluntary organisations the state has achieved the target of 44 per cent of blood donation through voluntary means. Figuring among low-performing states, voluntary blood donation has only now picked up in the state, but a lot of ground work has to be covered before the voluntary blood donation picks up in hill districts.

“Despite scientific endeavours, there is no replacement for blood, an important constitute of our body, and it can only be acquired through human beings,” said Dr Meenakshi Uniyal, joint director, blood safety.

The need for blood banks becomes all the more acute due to the inhospitable terrain that makes travelling difficult. Over the past few years, the state has been plagued with rising number of accidents, making the location of blood banks even more vital.

Road accidents in the state are on constant increase ever since Uttarakhand came into existence eight years ago, with the death toll crossing the figure of 1000 in a calendar year.

As per the latest data compiled by the police, as many as 1,073 persons lost their lives in road accidents in 2008.

While the Blood Bank at Doon Hospital caters to the needs of poor patients (BPL card-holders), it is facing a manpower crunch. The work has been divided among four persons who also look after the testing laboratory.

It has a storage capacity of 360 units of blood per day and manages to collect 5000 units of blood per year, of which 600-700 units are collected through voluntary donation at medical camps and the rest is through replacements.

Blood camps also need to be upgraded. As of now, there is no components separating machine. “We can only start it once we get the licence for operating the machine, but we manage to provide blood to the needy somehow,”said Dr RK Pant, CMS Doon Hospital. To attract more volunteers for blood donation, the hospital undertakes a complete health check of patients. “Once a patient enlists for the blood donation camp, he can be assured of a complete health check-up. So in a way, if regular donations are undertaken one can be sure of a complete health card.

“In fact, women suffering from anaemia are given iron tablets and other vitamins so that they return for donations once their blood count is restored,” said Vinita Srivastav, consultant, Uttarakand State AIDS Control Society.Voluntary donors and their families are also eligible for health checks at hospitals. Despite these incentives, blood donation continues to be a tough task, requiring a whole lot of home work on the part of motivators.

Rescue mission
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun April 30
Moved by the plight of the poor losing their loved ones because of non-availability of blood, the concept of a modern blood bank was born. “Where there is any requirement, we will provide blood,” is the guiding principle on which the Indian Medical Association Blood Bank has been functioning since 2003.

“Our commitment is simple: where there is any requirement of blood, we provide it with no replacement donation ever,” said Dr Alok Ahuja, honorary secretary, IMA Blood Bank.

The modern blood bank has a storage capacity of 2,000 red blood cells, 100 platelets and 50,000 plasma cells. It is equipped with 100 per cent component separation and claims to have the highest level of blood safety.

“Here the red cells are stored at 2 degree-8 degree centigrade for 42 days; platelets are stored at 20 degree-24 degree centigrade for a shelf life of five days and fresh frozen plasma at 30 degree centigrade for a shelf life of 365 days,” informed Dr Ahuja.

The IMA is making efforts to increase the number of voluntary donations to cope with blood demand in the state. The bank’s blood requirement is between 70-100 units everyday.

“At the most, three units of blood per son can be donated in an emergency but this is not encouraged. There is a 70 per cent reduction in heart diseases if blood is donated three times a year.”

Giving details about the activities of the bank, Dr Aseem K Tiwari, honorary secretary, said that three years back the IMA could manage only 400 units of blood per month. now, due to a significant change in attitude and higher awareness levels, the bank manages to collect 1,500 units per month and 20,000 units per year. “We encourage voluntary donation, with no provision for replacement. The IMA holds around 18-20 blood donation camps every month,” he explained.

“The demand is mostly from Roorkee, Haridwar. Sixty per cent of the demand for blood in the state is met by the IMA bank,” he said.

Picture postcards may be lost to time
Sanjay Tamta

Mussoorie, April 30
The virgin beauty of Mussoorie lured its early settlers from the East India Company during the decades of 1820s. The pioneer enthusiasts included officers of the British Army, entrepreneurs and artists already known worldwide.

A picture postcard shows Charleville Hotel, Mussoorie

One such name is James Bailey Fraser who made one of the first-ever pictorial documents of Mussoorie on lithographs which opened a window to the Queen of the Hills all over Europe.

Sir JB Fraser visited Mussoorie and surrounding areas during the late 1820s and 1830s while compiling ‘Himalaya Mountains’, a series of first-ever lithographs of the Himalayan region which was a section of his documentation ‘View of India’.

Meanwhile, photography was just introduced in Europe in the year 1840 by Sir Louise Daguerre and very soon it reached Mussoorie with legendary photographers like John Sache, Johnson and Hoffmann, Julian and Thomas Rust, Bourne and Shepherd, Kinsey Brothers and many more.

These early lovers of the Queen of the Hills would send pictures, along with a note written on the back, to their loved ones back home. Thus, picture postcards came into being and the much waited for souvenir.

Mussoorie has the distinction of receiving almost all best photographers of their times and also of being one of the most photographed towns of India. Later, many Indian photographers joined the stream and studios like Glamour, Bora, Doon, Bhumbra and Thukral came into existence. After Independence, however, picture postcards lost the edge as offset printing couldn’t justify the quality of the picture.

Historian Gopal Bhardwaj, a known photographer of the region, introduced picture postcards with original prints which till date has a very good clientele worldwide. “I love my town and all that pertains to it and I try my best to preserve what is left and is under severe threat of extinction as I don’t have proper means for preservation of the same,” said Bhardwaj.

Bhardwaj has a vast collection of picture postcards of colonial times as well as his own composed.

His other articles of the glorious past of the Queen of the Hills which are battling with time and weather with priceless boxes containing his pain and effort laying in open corridors owing to lack of space.

A state-of-the-art museum is the need of the hour and the state government should give it a serious thought or else the vessel of unexposed treasure will sink into oblivion.

— The writer is a freelance journalist from Mussoorie

Speaking Out
‘No candidate has bothered to visit us’
With a few days left for the general election in Uttarakhand, women in slum areas of Dehradun who face a plethora of problems find themselves confused on the issue of selecting their party and candidates, writes Tribune reporter Divya Semwal

I’ve been living in the colony for years. Compared to previous years, there has been no election activity here and till date no candidate has come to us to listen to our problems. — Kamar Jha, Bhagat Singh Colony (II)

I believe no one wants to address the problems of the poor. Our kids are living in filthy surroundings. There is sewage, water and electricity problems, but nobody cares — Kursheeda, Bhagat Singh Colony(II)

I don’t know who to vote for. My ideal leader is one who can lend an ear to the problems of the poor and reduce the prices of daily commodities so that my children can go to school and eat healthy — Lakshmi Devi, Tarla Doiwala

Lekhpals end strike
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 29
Lekhpals and kanoongos in Haridwar district ended their week-long strike here on Tuesday evening. They were opposing legal action taken against one among them.

Last week, a lekhpal was caught red-handed by a vigilance department team while accepting a bribe of Rs10,000. He was later sent to jail and lekhpals went on an indefinite strike in opposition.

Although their move didn’t go down well with the common public and the administration tried its best to put an end to the stir, the lekhpals did not relent.
It was only after District Magistrate Shailesh Bagholi’s intervention that the lekhpals finally took their strike back after a week.

The district administration is now relieved as the stir was affecting work ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections. The work-load on the administration had also increased manifold during the strike period.

Meanwhile, opposing the lekhpals’ strike in support of a corrupt colleague, several social organisations and activists have condemned the move. Madhukant Premi and several other locals also sat on strike in front of the DIstrict Magistrate’s office.