Every blood donor is a lifesaver, says Bhuvaneswari

Vijayawada: NTR Memorial Trust managing trustee Nara Bhuvaneswari called upon people to donate blood, describing every blood donor as a lifesaver who offers hope to patients battling illnesses and families struggling during medical emergencies.

She inaugurated the NTR Trust Thalassemia Care Centre and blood bank here on Friday, aimed at providing timely support to poor patients and children requiring regular blood transfusions. She said the facility was being dedicated to the people of Vijayawada and would serve as a lifeline for those facing difficulties in accessing blood.

Addressing the gathering, Bhuvaneswari said blood donation was not merely an act of charity but a precious gift that could save another person’s life. She urged healthy individuals to come forward and make voluntary blood donation a regular practice.

Highlighting the challenges faced by children suffering from thalassemia, she said they required regular blood transfusions, placing a considerable emotional and financial burden on their families. To address this need, the trust had launched a programme in Hyderabad last year to provide free blood to such children.

Through its Thalassemia Care Centre, the trust was extending support through free blood transfusions, necessary filters and medicines, she said. Blood banks were already functioning in Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Rajamahendravaram. The new facility in Vijayawada would strengthen access to blood for patients in the region, while another blood bank was planned in Anantapur within a month.

Recalling the ideals of former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao, Bhuvaneswari said he believed that public service should improve the lives of ordinary people, particularly the underprivileged. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu established the NTR Memorial Trust to carry forward those ideals, she added.

Bhuvaneswari said the trust had been serving people for 29 years in healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, livelihood generation and safe drinking water. Through Sanjeevani mobile clinics and NTR Arogya Rathams, it was taking medical services to people, particularly in tribal and remote areas. The NTR Sujala programme was providing access to safe drinking water.

The trust was also supporting underprivileged students and empowering women through skill training and marketing opportunities for their products at the Stree Shakti Hastakala Store. It had extended assistance to people affected by floods, cyclones and the Covid-19 pandemic.

She said the impact of the trust’s work on people’s lives mattered more than the number of beneficiaries and stressed the need for greater public participation in its service initiatives.

Bhuvaneswari felicitated donors who had contributed to the trust and individuals who had rendered services. NTR Trust CEO Rajendra and COO Gopi, among others, attended the programme.

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The Hans India