Bengaluru: Despite Facing Discrimination West Bengal Migrant Workers Donate Blood Amid COVID-19

Blood donation has become a risky affair with regular donors fearing to visit blood banks amid COVID-19. The fear of contracting the virus has led to a dire shortage of blood in blood banks since March.

Following the gradual relaxation guidelines, a community of migrant workers hailing from West Bengal came forward and donated blood during a blood donation drive in Bengaluru. This drive was organized by Swaraj Abhiyan which is supported by Lions Blood Bank along with Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health.

The migrant workers who belong to Maharashtra and Assam often face discrimination and are labelled as 'Bangladeshi'. Despite facing discrimination, they're ready to donate blood in light of the acute shortage faced in Bengaluru, at the moment.

"In the blood donation drive at Thubarahalli in the city, 83 migrant workers from West Bengal donated blood. They are employed as construction workers in the Information Technology (IT) corridor of Whitefield, as support staff at IT companies and as domestic help in apartment complexes in the area." reported The Frontline.

"I am amazed to see that they're ready to donate blood even after all that they have lost in the past few months. Following the shortage of blood in blood banks, Swaraj India organized a hundred-day campaign to serve the nation during Corona. We got in touch with few corporate offices and apartments but we could not organise there due to restrictions imposed right now. That is when migrant labour who has been working with Swaraj India suggested that they will be able to give blood if we organise a blood donation camp near the area." shares Zia Nomani from Swaraj India with The Logical Indian.

The camp was arranged in a makeshift tent. The doctors took all necessary steps while conducting the donation drive and wore protective equipment to ensure safety."We have not conducted blood donation camps in the last two months. Very few people have come forward to donate blood since the lockdown, so we are thankful that the people here have donated blood during a pandemic," said Laxmi Narayan, the blood bank councillor to The News Minute.

"They have been harassed regularly and accused of being illegal Bangladeshi but yet they were ready to give blood to save the life of people they don't even know. Swaraj India is planning to organise multiple blood donation camps on Independence. We want more people to come forward and participate in such camps. If more people want to organize such camps in their locality, they could reach out to us." adds Zia.

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