Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India — Ministry of Health and Family Welfare PIB Delhi Read the original release on pib.gov.in
- Dr. M. Srinivas called for collective efforts to strengthen voluntary blood donation and promote judicious utilization of various blood components.
- State Blood Transfusion Councils, NGOs and other institutions were honored for their contribution in promoting voluntary blood donation.
National Voluntary Blood Donation Day (NVBDD) 2026 was celebrated today at the Golden Jubilee Auditorium of Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), New Delhi. On this occasion, special emphasis was laid on strengthening the culture of regular, voluntary and without remuneration blood donation to ensure safe, adequate and continuous availability of blood and various blood components across the country.
This national program was organized by the Blood Transfusion Services Division of the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Central Government in collaboration with Lady Hardinge Medical College and its affiliated hospitals, New Delhi. The theme of National Voluntary Blood Donation Day 2026 was — “A drop of humanity. Donate blood. Save life.”
Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog presided over the program and inaugurated the voluntary blood donation camp organized on the occasion. Director General of Health Services, Dr. Lovenish G. was present in the program. Krishna, Dr. Himani Ahluwalia, Director of Lady Hardinge Medical College and affiliated hospitals, senior officials of health services, experts in blood transfusion medicine, health workers, representatives of State Blood Transfusion Councils, blood centres, voluntary organizations and educational institutions and voluntary blood donors participated.
The program started with the inauguration of the voluntary blood donation camp. After this, the students of Lady Hardinge Medical College gave the message of voluntary blood donation through street plays and cultural presentations and underlined its importance in saving lives. The program also included administering the pledge of voluntary blood donation, addresses by dignitaries and felicitating states, organizations and relevant stakeholders for their contribution in promoting blood donation. The program concluded with the national song followed by the national anthem.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. M. Srinivas underlined the importance of voluntary blood donation in ensuring adequate and continuous blood supply. He stressed the collective responsibility of citizens and all concerned stakeholders to strengthen voluntary blood donation.
At the beginning of his address, Dr. Srinivas administered the oath of voluntary blood donation. He called upon the citizens to donate blood regularly as well as spread awareness in their communities and encourage more and more people to donate blood voluntarily.
Appreciating the contribution of blood donation organizations and volunteers towards the nation and humanity, Dr. Srinivas said that about 75 percent of the blood collection in the country is through voluntary blood donation. He called for joint efforts of the government, health workers, NGOs, voluntary organizations and youth organizations to bridge the gap between demand and availability of blood and increase the scope of voluntary blood donation.
He also underlined the importance of judicious and appropriate use of blood and its various components. He said that awareness of blood health should not be limited to blood donation but should also be extended to related topics like nutrition and anemia, especially among women and adolescent girls.
Dr. Srinivas urged health institutions, voluntary organizations and community groups to take these messages to the grassroots level and contribute in increasing public awareness about blood, various blood components and the importance of voluntary blood donation.
Director General of Health Services Dr. Lovenish G. Krishna appreciated the contribution of voluntary blood donors, institutions and organizations engaged in strengthening blood transfusion services across the country.
He informed about various measures taken by the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to strengthen blood transfusion services. These include implementation of the National Blood Policy, strengthening quality assurance and quality management processes, use of e-Raktakosh portal for registration and monitoring of blood donors, development of national technical guidelines and conduct of information, education and communication activities.
Dr. Krishna said that systems and infrastructure are necessary, but to ensure adequate availability of blood, continuous voluntary participation of people is also necessary. He called for strengthening the culture of regular, voluntary and unremunerated blood donation, especially with greater participation of youth.
Highlighting the humanitarian aspect of blood donation, Dr. Krishna said that behind every unit of blood there is a patient, behind every patient there is a family and behind every blood donor there is a feeling of humanity. He appealed to all stakeholders to contribute in strengthening voluntary blood donation and making it an integral part of responsible citizenship.
Lady harding Medical College by Safe And quality blood services Of Per commitment repetition
Dr. Himani Ahluwalia, Director, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Affiliated Hospitals, underlined the institution's commitment to its core values of service, education and community responsibility. He reiterated the Institute's commitment to ensure access to safe and quality blood services.
He informed that Lady Hardinge Medical College provides free treatment and blood transfusion related assistance to about 700 registered thalassemia patients. This service is one of the largest services of its kind in government hospitals in the country.
Dr. Ahluwalia also informed about various initiatives being taken by the institute to promote voluntary blood donation. These include regular voluntary blood donation camps, awareness campaigns, street plays and other community outreach activities.
Year 2025 In blood Collection Of Display Of For states To honored Did Went
During the national programme, State Blood Transfusion Councils were honored for their contribution in strengthening blood collection performance and voluntary blood donation in the year 2025.
– Among North-Eastern states: Mizoram got first place and Sikkim got second place.
– Among Union Territories: Chandigarh got first position and Delhi got second position.
– Among other states: Haryana stood first, Uttarakhand stood second and Punjab stood third.
This honor is in recognition of the continuous efforts made by State Blood Transfusion Councils to motivate blood donors, increase participation of voluntary blood donors and promote voluntary blood donation.
Non-governmental organizations and other institutions that have made significant contributions in promoting voluntary blood donation and strengthening blood transfusion services were also honoured. These included Thalassemics India, Akhil Bharatiya Terapanth Yuvak Parishad, All India Radio and Indian Red Cross Society, among other organisations.
nationwide mega voluntary blood donation Campaign
This national event is part of the nationwide mega voluntary blood donation campaign being run across the country from 17 September to 2 October 2026.
The objective of this campaign is to promote regular voluntary blood donation, strengthen the base of voluntary blood donors and ensure wide participation of citizens, institutions and communities. Health departments of states and union territories, state blood transfusion councils, blood centres, health and educational institutions, government departments, voluntary organizations and community groups are participating in this campaign.
In the campaign, special emphasis is being laid on youth participation, grassroots level public relations, raising awareness and public participation. The e-Raktakosh portal is being used for registration of blood donors and monitoring of blood collection related activities. Voluntary blood donation pledge is also being promoted through digital platforms including MyGov to encourage wider public participation.
voluntary blood donation: public health Of Per One Necessary Responsibility
National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is celebrated every year on 1 October. Its objective is to create awareness about the importance of voluntary blood donation and encourage healthy and eligible individuals to donate blood regularly.
Blood and its various components are required in surgery, accident and stroke treatment, management of severe anemia, cancer and blood disorders, maternal health care and other life-saving medical procedures. Since blood cannot be manufactured artificially, its availability depends on the voluntary participation of eligible blood donors.
Therefore, regular voluntary blood donation contributes significantly to ensuring timely availability of blood and its various components to patients in need.
The theme of National Voluntary Blood Donation Day 2026 is “A Drop of Humanity. Donate Blood. Save Life.” Underlines the humanitarian spirit of voluntary blood donation and calls upon eligible citizens, especially the youth, to contribute to this life-saving act.
The program concluded with an appeal to citizens, health institutions, educational institutions, government departments, voluntary organizations and other stakeholders to continue efforts to promote regular, voluntary and unremunerated blood donation throughout the year.
The nationwide mega voluntary blood donation campaign will continue till 2 October 2026. Under this, the participating states, union territories, blood centers and organizations will make efforts to further strengthen the culture of voluntary blood donation through blood donation camps, encouraging blood donors and awareness related activities across the country.
This is the official press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), and is published without changes.