Students Ignite Community Blood Donation Efforts

NSS Higher Secondary School, Manickamangalam, was the venue for the district-wide World Blood Donor Day celebrations on Sunday. This significant event was jointly organized by Aluva District Hospital and the school's Bharat Scouts and Guides unit.

The celebration also marked a milestone, as it was the 35th blood donation camp conducted by the school authorities within the past eight years. Higher Education Minister Roji M John inaugurated the event, with Ernakulam District Panchayat President K G Radhakrishnan presiding over the function. The school has been proactively conducting various activities to instill awareness about blood donation among its students.

These awareness initiatives are spearheaded by P Raghu, a schoolteacher and the coordinator of the scouts and guides unit. Raghu mentioned that the school consistently organizes blood donation camps every three to four months. This frequency is maintained because donors become eligible to donate again after a three-month interval. "As we do such activities continuously, whenever someone within nearby regions requires blood they contact us, and we strive to provide blood," Raghu stated.

He further explained that while students under 18 cannot donate, the donors primarily come from the Manickamangalam region and the school's alumni. The school's scout and guides unit has been recognized for its societal contributions, having previously received the Chief Minister's Shield award.