Telangana: Rajagopalpet youth sets blood donation example

Each of these youths had donated blood 10 to 30 times during the past seven years. The youth from Rajagopalpet formed as RJPT Saviors group seven years ago with a few members.

Siddipet: The youth of Rajagopalpet village in Nanganur mandal have set an example in donating blood when there were emergency needs for people in Siddipet and Hyderabad.

Each of these youngsters have donated blood 10 to 30 times during the last seven years. The youth from Rajagopalpet formed the RJPT Saviors group seven years ago with a few members. The number of members in the group swelled to 43 in the last seven years. Of the 43 from the group, 15 were residing in Hyderabad, doing various jobs. Meanwhile, a member of the group, Praveen Mundrathi (27), who donated blood 20 times, is leading another district-level blood donation group in Siddipet. Coming to know about their service, former Minister and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao called them over the phone on Monday and appreciated their service. Rao called upon the youth from other villagers to follow their footsteps to save the lives of the people who were in emergency need of blood.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Govindapuram Raju (38), founder member of the group, said he had found it difficult to get one unit of negative group blood when one of his relatives was in emergency need some 10 years ago in Hyderabad. Raju said he had visited many blood banks in Hyderabad for nearly six hours to find a unit of blood. However, a blood bank asked them to donate two units of other blood groups to give them one, following which he had to get one of his friends donate blood apart from himself. Raju has donated blood 28 times so far.

Understanding the scarcity of blood donors, Raju said he had discussed the issue with his friends back in the village and they decided to form a group to regularly donate blood. They travel at their own expense to hospitals and accept nothing from the recipient’s family for their gesture. To encourage more youth to join their path, they organised a felicitation programme on Sunday for blood donors in the village in connection with World Blood Donor Day.