Udupi: Vishal, Deputy Commissioner, said on Tuesday that there should be optimal use of donated blood. He was speaking after inaugurating World Blood Donors’ Day organized by the district unit of Indian Red Cross Society at the Red Cross Bhavan, here.

Dr. Vishal said that blood banks and officers connected with it should collect blood only as per requirements. They should not collect blood just to meet targets. This was because the blood so collected had to be used within a stipulated period or else it would become less effective.

Technology should be used for separation of blood components, he said.

It was also necessary to make optimum use of blood components. Equipment worth Rs. 42 lakh had been purchased for the Blood Bank, which was functioning in Kundapur town, Dr. Vishal said.

This had reduced the number of complicated health cases being brought to the district government hospital in Udupi as they were now being treated at the taluk government hospital in Kundapur.

Lab technicians would be appointed to the blood bank in Kundapur, Dr. Vishal said.

Umesh Prabhu, president of district unit of IRCS, said that more awareness about the importance of blood donation had to be created in rural areas. The requirement of blood was more during accidents.

There were 2,700 blood banks in the country. If there was excess blood in any blood bank, it was distributed to other blood banks, he said.

Students from colleges who had donated blood many times were felicitated.

Janardhan, secretary of district unit of the IRCS, and Ramachandra Kamath, treasurer, were present.