Blood Donation Camp Organised on the Occasion of the 28th Anniversary of Daily Newspaper ‘Paryabekshak’
Balasore, February 4 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): The 28th anniversary celebrations of the daily newspaper Paryabekshak concluded with great enthusiasm at the Red Cross Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.
Marking the occasion, Paryabekshak and The Kalinga Chronicle Group, in collaboration with the Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State Branch, organised a large-scale blood donation camp.
The camp was held under the chairmanship and direct supervision of Dr Pabitra Mohan Samantaray, Editor-in-Chief of Paryabekshak and The Kalinga Chronicle. It was formally inaugurated by Professor Dr Sushil Kumar Pattnaik, Head of the P.G.M.E.R. Surgery Department, Capital Hospital; Dr Ramchandra Rout, Director, Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha Branch; and Dr Mamata Mahanti, former Blood Bank Chief Officer of Capital Hospital and former Additional Director of the State Health Directorate.
A large number of people voluntarily came forward to donate blood, prompting the guests to highly appreciate Paryabekshak for its meaningful and humanitarian initiative.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ramchandra Rout said it was heartening to see people coming forward on their own to donate blood, especially at a time when blood banks often struggle to persuade donors. He highlighted the importance of blood donation, particularly for patients suffering from thalassemia and sickle cell disease, as well as for emergency surgeries. He stressed that organising such camps is essential to ensure adequate blood storage to save lives during critical situations. He also noted that healthy individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 can donate blood five to six times a year.
Professor Dr Sushil Kumar Pattnaik thanked Paryabekshak for organising the blood donation camp on its 28th foundation day, calling it a commendable social initiative. Former Additional Health Director Dr Mamata Mahanti, addressing the gathering as a distinguished guest, lauded Editor-in-Chief Dr Pabitra Mohan Samantaray for his 28 years of sustained social service through journalism and remarked that blood donation today truly amounts to saving lives.
Explaining the urgent need for blood, Dr Mahanti pointed out its critical role in trauma care, cancer treatment, road traffic accident cases, and obstetric emergencies such as PPH and APH. Since blood can only be produced by the human body, she appealed to people to donate blood voluntarily to help save patients from life-threatening conditions.
Recalling the newspaper’s 28-year journey, Dr Pabitra Mohan Samantaray expressed gratitude to countless readers, writers, contributors, and well-wishers. On this occasion, he also announced that similar blood donation camps would be organised in the future at block, subdivision, and district levels across the state.
At the outset, Priyabrata Nayak, Satya Nayak, Arobinda Mahapatra, Laxmipriya Nayak, Jayanta Mahapatra, along with many members of the public and journalists, donated blood. The Paryabekshak and The Kalinga Chronicle Group arranged lunch for all participants and honoured the donors with certificates and ceremonial scarves.
The entire programme was coordinated by Paryabekshak journalists Deba Prasad Mahanti, Swarna Prabha Nayak, Priyabrata Nayak, Akshaya Prasad Mahanti, Prasar Khuntia, Pratap Kandi, Pramod Kishore Parida, and Anand Pattnaik.
