Blood donation: Muslim body enrolls 5000 volunteers to help patients

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Dec 4: The Islamic Academy For Comparative Religion has launched a mission in the city to create awareness in the Muslim youth on the importance of blood donation and promotion of communal harmony.
The Academy has created a computerised database of blood donors to provide blood to needy patients in and around the city. It wants to enrol as many as 5000 volunteers to begin with and create a mega bank of blood donors in the long run.
"There is a general misconception in the Muslim community that one should not donate blood. This is wrong. Donation of blood to save the life a person is very much a part of Islamic practice as the Holy Quran says that saving one human life is like saving the whole of mankind," observes Academy president Mohammed Asifuddin.
A round-the-clock control room has been set up for enrolment of volunteers and appeals for blood. This will be a continuous and on-site help for all who need blood. This help will be free and available for all irrespective of caste, creed, age or gender, he said.
"Once a call is received the nearest volunteer with the matching blood details will drop in at the spot in minutes to donate blood. The donors will be carefully picked up after a comprehensive scrutiny of all personal health records. The volunteers will be in the age group of 18-35 years. Each volunteer will be permitted to donate blood only twice a year," he said.
The Academy will promote the concept of blood donation through sermons in mosques, madarasas and other Islamic institutions. The control room numbers are +91-40-55774547 and +91-9885450497.