President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called upon the people and all national and international organizations, including Sandhani, to join spontaneously the humanitarian programme of voluntary blood and posthumous eye donation.
They made the call in separate messages on the eve of 'National Voluntary Blood Donation and Posthumous Eye Donation Day-2022'.
The President, in his message, said he is very happy to know that the day is going to be observed across the country under the initiative of Health and Family Welfare Ministry and voluntary organization Sandhani Central Committee and Sandhani National Eye Donation Society.
Abdul Hamid said blood and cornea are the mainstays for saving the critical patient and curing corneal blindness.
Voluntary blood donation and posthumous eye donation are noble acts to serve humanity, he said, adding that according to experts, regular blood donation by a healthy person does not harm the body rather it is beneficial for health.
The head of the state said Sandhani has been playing a praiseworthy role to popularize voluntary blood donation and posthumous eye donation for more than four decades.
The President urged all to come forward in voluntary blood and posthumous eye donation to serve humanity.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, called upon all including national and international organizations and private organizations to participate in this humanitarian activity like Shandhani, a non-government voluntary organization.
Mentioning the contribution of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said Bangabandhu established 'Blood Transfusion Department' at the then PG Hospital (Now Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University) in 1972 realizing the importance of safe blood.
Bangabandhu formulated 'The Blind Relief' (Donation of Eye) Act 1975' to solve the problem of blindness in the country, she said.
The prime minister also said just after assuming power in 1996, her government allotted a plot to Sandhani in Nilkhet area for establishing blood bank and eye bank.
Following the footprints of Bangabandhu, Human Organ Transplantation Act, 1999 has been formulated to collect and preserve organs for transplanting in human body and ensure the legal use of those, she said.
Lauding Shandhani, she said as part of showing humanity, the Shandhani made a rare example by organizing the first voluntary blood donation programme at Dhaka Medical College on November 2, 1978 to save the life of critical patients of the hospital.
The President and the Prime Minister wished the overall success of 'National Voluntary Blood Donation and Posthumous Eye Donation Day-2022'.
