To commend the efforts of regular voluntary blood donors, the Federation of Bombay Blood Banks (FBBB) has decided to reward the donors with a 'Janata Accident Insurance Policy' of Rs 25,000 for a year.

Confirming this, Dr Neelam Nijhara, Secretary, Federation of Bombay Blood Banks said, "This is being done as part of the initiative by the FBBB to recognize and reward the regular blood donors." According to her, the federation plans to issue to all those who donate blood three or more times in a calendar year from January to December with a Janata Accident Insurance Policy of Rs 25,000 for a year. The policy will be further renewed in the subsequent year, if the donor repeats his three donations during the next calendar year as well.

According to Dr Nijhara, the policy will be made effective from January 2003.

Apart from the above, the federation also plans to reward pheresis donors (from whom plasma, platelets, and white cells are taken and the unused red cells which are not collected, are returned back to the donor) with an insurance policy of Rs 50,000 for every individual who presents himself six times during the calendar year.

In a given year, a healthy individual who satisfies the required criterion could donate blood for about four times, while in case of pheresis donors the number is about seven to eight times.

According to a survey, (conducted among 897 respondents in Mumbai, Nagpur and Kolhapur), it was observed that about 70 % of the population in the city of Mumbai have never donated blood. Reasons cited for the above include, fear of being infected with AIDS, weakness/tiredness, no time to donate and never felt the need to donate.

Says Dr Nijhara, with proper awareness and donor-motivated schemes, more number of people from the above category could be converted to regular donors. "After all it is our commitment towards recognizing the selfless service offered by our blood donors in the service of the sick and the ailing", concludes Dr Nijhara.