Mass Blood Donation Camp on 96th Foundation Day of CAB as 44th Frank Worrell Day
Ambar Bhattacharya, Takmaa News, Kolkata, 1st Feb 2024 : The Cricket Association of Bengal since 1981 has been organising voluntary blood donation camp on its Foundation Day on 3rd Feb every year in the Club House. The blood donation camp is being dedicated to the memory of Sir Frand Worrell.
In 1962 Nari Contractor, the then captain of the Indian touring team to West Indies, was hit by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith causing a serious head injury. A surgeon was flown in from Trinidad to perform emergency lifesaving neuro-surgery operation. Blood was needed for transfusion. Led by Sir Frank Worrell the players of both the teams lined up to donate blood for Nari. The life was saved.
In the rememberance of this great humanitarian act of Sir Frank Worrell, the programme was thought of as a part of Foundation Day’s programme of CAB in 1981, when the concept of voluntary blood donation was in a nascent state in this state. This programme has been helping in spreading in the message of blood donation deep in the community. The state now leads the country in the field of voluntary blood donation. The annual blood collection from the voluntary blood donors was only 2493 in 1979. In 2023 the collection from the voluntary blood donors of West Bengal was 10.90 lakh units. Many donors of this particular camp have donated 40 times and we are now donor organizers of regular blood donation camps in their locality and place of work.
This year the blood donation camp is being organized with the Association of Voluntary Blood Donors, West Bengal for the 44th year in succession on 3rd February 2024 in the Club House. 11 State Govt. Blood Banks with a total collection capacity of 900 units would collect blood from 9am to 6pm, The blood donors will be presented with a special CAB badge and certificate of honour signed by legendary Indian Cricketer Md. Sami says, Snehasish Ganguly (President, CAB). Today in a virtual press meet he also says, today my mother had a mild heart attack and got admitted to Apollo Hospital where she needed blood. Today I feel how important are the blood donation camps for saving serious patients to survive.
