Deputy Commissioner Wokha Vineet Kumar inaugurates the blood storage unit at the Dr Motsuo Memorial District Hospital (DMMDH), Wokha on March 17. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Wokha | March 17
Dr Motsuo Memorial District Hospital (DMMDH), Wokha, inaugurated a long-awaited blood storage unit on March 17, a move expected to significantly improve emergency healthcare services and timely access to blood in the district.
The inaugural programme was held at the pathology lab building and chaired by Medical Superintendent Dr Mhonchan N Kithan.
Gracing the occasion as special guest, Deputy Commissioner Wokha and chairman of the District Health Society, Vineet Kumar described the commissioning of the facility as a milestone for the district, noting its critical role in saving lives.
He said the absence of a local storage facility had earlier discouraged blood donation, as units had to be sourced from outside the district.
With the new unit in place, Kumar expressed hope that more people would come forward to donate and store blood locally.
He also congratulated the departments involved for completing the project after over one and a half years, and urged medical personnel to continue serving with dedication and efficiency.
Delivering the keynote address, Pathologist Dr Nzanthung Lotha highlighted the importance of the unit in bridging gaps in healthcare delivery.
Citing national concerns, he said that several lives are lost daily due to lack of timely blood availability and appealed to the public, particularly the youth, to donate blood.
Unit offers 50-unit capacity, 35-day shelf life
Dr Lotha informed that the unit has the capacity to store up to 50 units of blood at a time, with a shelf life of 35 days,.
Healthy individuals between 18 and 65 years can donate blood following basic medical screening, he added, further noting the regenerative processes in the human body triggered by blood donation.
Officials further informed that the facility is equipped with a dedicated power backup system capable of functioning for 10 to 12 hours during outages.
The programme was invoked by Echungbemo Shitiri, pastor of Samyan Baptist Church, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Arhoni Kikon, DSRC councillor, DMMDH.
