Speakers at a blood donor reception programme on Tuesday stressed increasing the number of voluntary blood donors to save thousands of lives in the country.
They said the need of blood is always there for the patients like anemic, thalassaemia, haemophilia, hemorrhage, operation, burn injury and accidents.
But nearly 22,000 people die every year failing to manage blood in time due to the huge gap between demand and supply, they said adding that blood is only a substitute of blood.
The speakers were addressing a reception programme of Quantum Foundation at National Press Club which was organised to observe the World Blood Donor Day on Tuesday (June 14).
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud attended the function as the chief guest with founder Chairman of Palliative Medicine Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Professor Dr Nizamuddin Ahmed in the chair.
Chief Coordinator of Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute Dr Samonto Lal Sen and Director Motivation of Quantum Foundation M Rezaul Hasan spoke on the occasion.
Lying importance on creating awareness on voluntary blood donation, the information minister said it would help build the nation as the state of humanity side by side developed country.
He said the voluntary blood donors are practicing humanity by their noble work adding that this practice needs to flourish to establish the country as a nation of humanity.
Lauding the Quantum Foundation for carrying humanitarian works, the minister hopes that these works will inspire others to do so.
He said the voluntary blood donation activity was launched on June 10, 1972 at the initiative of National Professor Dr Nurul Islam during the ruling period of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The speakers said a physically sound person aged between 18 and 60 can donate blood every four months and urged all to donate to meet growing demand for blood.
They said on average 0.8 million to 1.0 million (800,000 to 1,000,000) units of blood are needed every year but a significant portion of that demand is met by the professional donors.
Quantum Foundation could meet 11 per cent of the demand with its highest donor pool of around 400,000.
So far in the last 22 years, Quantum Foundation supplied 1.4 million units of blood and blood cells to those who needed.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared June 14 the World Blood Donor Day in recognition of the contribution of Australian biologist and physician scientist Karl Landsteiner on his birthday. He was the innovator of blood groups A, B, O and AB.