Odisha people rush in large numbers to donate blood for train tragedy victims

People of Odisha have admirably come together to cope up with the tragic train accident in Balasore district on Friday, in which nearly 300 people have died and 900 severely injured. An outstanding example of this is the way people have voluntarily queued up to donate blood on realising the gravity of the injuries and fatalities that occurred in the accident.

All this happened without the State Government or any of its agencies appealing to the people for blood. It was a spontaneous response of the masses.

In Balasore, in less than an hour of the accident students, volunteer groups and locals rushed to the hospital to give blood. The donation continued through the night and next morning. On Saturday the hospital had 1,700 units as stock.

Dr. Mahesh Kumar Biswal, the officer at the blood bank informed the media that many donors were asked to return home. Their phone numbers were noted to enable the bank to contact them in case of emergency.

Interestingly, this was not the case just in Balasore but also in other places including Jajpur, Cuttack and Bhadrak.

At Cuttack’s Shrirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College Hospital – designated as the nodal referral centre for the victims — the scene was a repeat of what was seen in Balasore.

Following are two videos posted on Twitter by ANI showing the scene outside the hospital.

Dr. Smita Mahapatra, HoD of the transfusion medicine department informed that apart from the people, SCB junior doctors association, student volunteers and faculty also volunteered to donate blood.

The Regional Transport Office in Angul organised a camp on June 4 with the assistance of Automobile Dealers Association where 100 units were collected.

The Sayamsevak Sangh volunteers donated blood yesterday and 500 units were collected.

The Shree Jagannatha Society UK on their Twitter posted pictures and a video of a blood bank that was organised at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar which saw 230 donors coming forward. A team of specialist doctors too have been sent to Balasore to assist in healthcare.