A Press Report on Blood Donation Drive, Muscat, Oman - A Record Collection

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23 Oct 2005 06:38:09 -0000"T. S. Jaykumar" <rs.....>To:

Subject: A Press Report on Blood Donation Drive,

Muscat, Oman - A Record Collection

SAI Group blood donation drive overshoots expectations

MUSCAT — Stiff targets inspire and helps to achieve excellence. Accordingly the

Serve and Inspire (SAI) Group had set a target of 80 units of blood to be

collected for its monthly blood donation campaign for the month of October. The

significance of the number 80 being that this is the 80th anniversary year of

Sathya Sai Baba, the founder and the inspirational source of the SAI Group. His

birthday falls on November 23 and the celebrations chiefly comprise of a number

of community service projects done world wide to serve the humanity. A very

significant event in the history of Sultanate of Oman is the 35th National Day

to be celebrated in November. The SAI Group in Oman would strive to achieve

similar targets in the months of November and December to commemorate these two

special events. The October monthly blood donation drive sprang a surprise not

only for the Department of Blood Services, Ministry of Health

but also to the SAI Group, for not only they reached their target but exceeded

it by a huge margin. The final tally for the day stood at 136! No doubt, the

tireless efforts of the volunteers of the group had paid rich dividends. The

SAI volunteers made all out efforts to ensure the convenience and comfort of

the donors. They launched a campaign wherein apart from highlighting the need

of blood in the hospitals, it was spelt out clearly how easy and harmless is

the process of blood donation and the advantages accrued to the donor. Dr

Shahnaz Al Balushi, director, Department of Blood Services, Ministry of Health

expressed her gratitude to the SAI Group for this selfless humanitarian

contribution for a noble cause of donating blood, the precious gift of life,

without any reward or gain. She also appreciated the SAI Group for the

dedication and motivation to support the Department of Blood Services and hoped

that this would have a positive and healthy impact on

others and evoke awareness and motivation, creating a chain reaction. It is also

worth noting that the SAI Group is a regular donor at the Blood Bank since 1985

and has been averaging close to 600 units annually in the last few years with

an assured participation every month. The process of blood donation is viewed

not only as a medical process, but as a spontaneous act of serving one in need.

SAI Group has been in the forefront of many service projects in several

countries across the globe. Be it the tsunami in 2004, the destruction in the

aftermath of the devastating hurricanes in the US, earthquakes which have

jolted countries like Iran, Turkey, India, the volunteers of the SAI group have

been quick to provide relief to the victims, by clearing debris, providing final

rites to unclaimed and decomposed bodies, medical relief and psychological

support. Cleaning rivers, drainage systems and beaches in the West Indies;

dedicated efforts towards bridging

the financial and digital divides faced by problematic students of juvenile

detention centres, immigrant youth, halfway homes in the USA; transformation of

a crime infested suburb in Malaysia; care and comfort for terminally ill cancer

patients in Sri Lanka; providing cool butter milk to hundreds of workers in the

Gulf countries during the summer when the mercury soars high; artificial limbs;

rebuilding homes for poor; wheel chair projects; providing food and shelter to

the needy; tree planting; counselling; home for orphans; help for refugees;

prison visits; substance abuse awareness campaigns, etc. These are just some of

the numerous service activities that SAI Group volunteers have been rendering,

worldwide. “Love All, Serve All” and “Help Ever, Hurt Never” have been the

sayings of Sathya Sai Baba from which the SAI volunteers derive their energy

and enthusiasm to serve. Source :- "Times of Oman, Sunday,

23.10.2005"

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