NSS Meeting at MDACS

A meeting of all the NSS Programme Officers of the colleges in the Mumbai Central Suburban region was organized at the MDACS Mumbai Districts Aids Control Society, Wadala, Mumbai on 25th July, 2019. The aim of the meeting was to sensitize the Programme Officers regarding the growing incidences of AIDS in the city of Mumbai. The objective was to encourage NSS units to set up RRC Red Ribbon Club to educate college students and spread awareness regarding AIDS.

The programme started at 2.00 p.m. and was coordinated by Mr. Umesh Ghuge, Assistant Director MDACS, Wadala. The first speaker was Dr. Latika Shivkar. She conducted the technical session giving the NSS POs complete information about AIDS, AIDS Awareness, preventions and post infection care. She explained at length the stigma attached with the disease and measures taken to educate society and create awareness. Details of her talk are attached with this report.

The second session was presented by Dr. Aparna S. Pawar. Dr. Pawar spoke on the topic Blood Donation. She began her session by inviting a discussion on the problems faced by colleges organizing Blood Donation Camps. She gave information about Blood Banks particularly the BMC managed blood banks and Government owned Blood Banks. She requested the Programme Officers to ensure that the Blood Bank they select to invite for blood donation camps in college should have the facility of a “Component Separation Unit”. She recommended Nair Hospital Blood Bank, KEM Blood Bank, Bombay Hospital Blood Bank, Sion Hospital Blood Bank as they all have a Component Separation Unit. Dr. Pawar spoke to us about the e-raktakosh, the online blood bank. She encouraged healthy people to donate blood once every three months. Platelets can be donated twice in a month. MDACS has their own mobile blood Donation van which moves around in crowded areas of the city to collect blood from donors. The Programme Officers spoke at length about the certificate issued to blood donors. These certificated do not help donors to get their first free unit of blood. After brain storming, the Programme Officers suggested that a ‘SMART CARD’ be devised and given to donors to update their donation of blood from time to time. This digital card should contain complete history of the blood donor. It could be used by the donor to procure his free unit of blood when he needs it.

The third and final session was conducted by Mr. Umesh Ghuge, Assistant Director MDACS, Wadala. He spoke to us about formulating a Red Ribbon Club. Every college with one NSS Unit to send two NSS volunteer, two units to send three NSS volunteers and three units to send 4 NSS volunteers on 30th July, 2019 for a training programme. The training programme will be organized by MDACS in their Wadala office. It will be a full day programme enabling the students to lead the RRC in their colleges. The trained NSS volunteers are required to share their knowledge with the students in their college. A minimum of 600 students have to be addressed. Mr. Umesh Ghuge made a power point presentation of all the activities that the RRC had to engage in for 40 hours. Rupees 4,000/- will be provided by MDACS to every college setting up a RRC. Rupees 2,000 will be paid in advance and Rupees 2,000 will be provided after completing the project. Detailed expenditure statements and bills will have to be submitted to MDACS for the RCC programme.

The meeting ended at 6.00 p.m. and the NSS POs dispersed.