Encourage young generation to donate blood,HC tells govt

The bench,comprising Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala,pronounced a judgment on the petition while observing that during summer blood was scarcely available. This,the court added,was because most of the blood collected by blood banks was through donation by students and youngsters at blood donation camps on the campus. During summer vacations,however,there were no donation camps in universities,the bench said.

Following observations to this effect,the court asked the state government and the blood banks to take steps that would encourage students and others to donate blood during summertime. The court directed to advertise in newspapers,television and radio about the dearth of blood during summertime. The court also directed the authorities to give incentives to the donors,like offering them free-of-cost blood of equal quantity they donate when they require it or free study material to students.

One of the main points raised in the PIL is the extraction of plasma from the blood collected through donation that’s sold to pharmaceutical companies for commercial gain by the blood banks. The court kept its final decision on the matter pending while observing that extraction of plasma and its subsequent sale was not objectionable provided the money was not used as a profit,but for the uplift of the blood banks. Further hearing on the PIL is kept for June 17.