Taking cognisance of the fact that mobile communication has acquired enormous reach, Jeevan Blood Bank and Research Centre, a registered public charitable trust, and AirTel, India's leading telecom conglomerate, have joined hands to launch the 'Be a blood donor-Save a life' project here on August 14.

This project enables AirTel subscribers and non-AirTel subscribers to register themselves through mobile phones for donating blood. 

Speaking at the launch after registering himself as the first voluntary blood donor through SMS, Chief Executive Officer, Southern Hub, AirTel, P Swaminathan said "Inertia, lack of awareness and the question of 'what is it in me' comes in the way of donating blood." Though it has not been proved that donating blood once in six months is good for health, it can still be propagated, he said.

Dr P Srinivasan, Director, Jeevan Blood Bank and Research Centre, said, "To register in this project, AirTel subscribers can use SMS and voice call. To register through SMS, they should go to 'message menu' and type the blood group and STD code (example:A+ve 044) and send it to 106. If they do not know their blood group, they should just type NK", adding that they can also register through voice call by calling 622, a toll-free number that could be contacted between 0800 to 2000 hrs on all days.

Non-AirTel customers can register by calling 98403 00622 or 98403 00621 from any phone between 0800 to 2000 hrs on all days, he said.

On receiving information on blood donors, Srinivasan said, "AirTel subscribers would get the numbers of three registered blood donors if he/she just sends an SMS to 107 mentioning the group he/she needed and the STD code." AirTel and non-AirTel subscribers can also place their request for blood by calling 98403 00622 or 98403 00621, he said.

K Deenabandu, Project Director of Tamil Nadu Aids Control Society, pointed out that in the year 1998, as much as 2.2 lakh units were collected, out of which 40 per cent came from voluntary blood donors while 60 per cent came from replacement blood donors." But in the year 2002, the total units of blood collected had more than doubled to 4.67 lakh, out of which 51 per cent (2.4 lakh units) came from voluntary donors", he said.

He said that the state government is working towards a 'Blood policy for Tamil Nadu' similar to the present national policy and a committee had been formed which would present its draft within the next six months. He added that the government was taking steps to limit the number of government blood banks and to set up blood banks only at the district headquarters.