Qatar: Mangalore Cricket Club (a socio-cultural organization), in an effort to reach out to its community, organised a blood donation campaign at the Hamad Medical Corporation Blood Donor unit on Friday, November 15. The blood donation campaign promotes a culture of voluntary blood donation by educating people on the importance of blood donation and how it can make a positive impact on the lives of many patients. This campaign received an enthusiastic response from organisation members and community participants who came together to join this noble cause as a holistic service to the community in Qatar. This was the ninth blood donation campaign organised by MCC and witnessed a good turnout of donors from 8 am in the morning till noon.
General Secretary Naveen D’Souza extended a general welcome and invited MCC President Sunil D’Silva to address the gathering. Sunil D’Silva welcomed the gathering and acknowledged the presence of all those who attended in big numbers on a Friday morning to support this campaign.
He then welcomed guest speaker Dr. Antonio Santimano, MBBS, Doctor of Medicine and Surgery M.D. Dr. Antonio Santimano has achieved an honors degree in General Surgery and ENT surgery. He is working with Hamad Medical Corporation since 2015 and is involved with medical research. Dr. Antonio was actively involved with the blood bank donor unit and blood processing during his services at Bombay Hospital. MCC Advisor Jessy Mendonca presented him with a flower bouquet.
In his address to the gathering, Dr. Antonio appreciated the efforts put in by MCC in organising the campaign, and thanked MCC for giving him an opportunity to share his knowledge on blood donation and its benefits. Having worked in the trauma center, he shared his experiences of having a dire need of blood donors on a daily basis, especially for those patients suffering from post-traumatic accidents. He described the mechanism of how the donated blood is screened and divided into plasma, platelets, red blood cells, and is used in trauma centers for various critical cases. Dr. Antonio conducted an interactive session by asking a few questions related to the prerequisites of a blood donor and highlighted the dos and don’ts for a blood donor. He also highlighted the benefits of blood donation. A group photograph of all those present was taken along with the guest, Dr. Antonio Santimano.
The President and Executive Committee members of MCC set an example by donating blood and took a good initiative in inviting many of their friends and colleagues to join this drive. The campaign witnessed registration of 53 volunteers out of which 43 were successful in donating blood after their checkups. All those present were provided with snacks and juice.
Prominent members from the community and other Karnataka Club Presidents and leaders were in attendance at the campaign. Ibraiz Khan – Karnataka Muslim Cultural Association (KMCA), Abdul Majid – South Kanara Muslim Cultural Association (SKMWA), Ragunath Anchan – Billavas Qatar, Saquib Raza Khan – Vice President KMCA, Ramanna Hegde – Vice President – Bunts Qatar were welcomed by the President Sunil D’Silva.
MCC President Sunil D’Silva wishes to thank and recognize the efforts of the Executive Committee and all MCC members, volunteers and donors who have supported this campaign and hopes that others too will be inspired to donate blood and save lives. MCC also thanks Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) for their continued support for this campaign which ultimately aims at supporting the blood bank reserve in all Qatar hospitals.
