A voluntary blood donation and blood grouping programme involving employees was held at star-rated hotel Ocean Paradise in Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday.
The program was organised by the hotel’s human resources department at the Captain Cox Ballroom, with support from the Safe Blood Transfusion Department of the 250-bed Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital.
Speaking at the inauguration, Ocean Paradise director Abdul Kader Mishu said that voluntary blood donation was a noble act that could save the lives of critically ill patients.
He said a healthy person could donate blood every four months regularly, adding that donating blood did not reduce blood in the body but rather helped purify it.
He also said that, alongside tourism services, the employees of Ocean Paradise had come forward to donate blood as part of their social responsibility and that such initiatives would continue in the future.
During the programme, which began at 12:00pm, organisers conducted blood grouping tests for over 100 hotel employees. Blood was collected and preserved from 12 donors.
They added that a list of other employees had been preserved with the hospital’s Safe Blood Transfusion Department so that they could be contacted in case of emergency blood requirements.
Coordinator of the Safe Blood Transfusion Department at the district sadar hospital Abu Taher Tipu said that around 40,000 bags of blood were needed annually in Cox’s Bazar district, including nearly 25,000 bags at the sadar hospital alone.
He said the blood was collected with the support of donors and praised the participation of employees of star-rated hotels in blood donation activities as part of social responsibility.
He also said that around 600 thalassaemia patients were currently living in Cox’s Bazar and that their lives could be at risk without timely blood transfusions.
The blood collected from Ocean Paradise would be used for thalassaemia patients, he added.
Hotel security staff member Emdadul and food and beverage department employee Didarul Islam said they were pleased to contribute to saving lives alongside serving tourists.
Human resources manager Md Mahbubul Islam said that Ocean Paradise had been actively involved in various social activities, including the observance of national and international days, since its establishment.
He added that the hotel arranged similar programs every year to ensure regular blood grouping among employees and the supply of safe blood.
He further said that since the Covid-19 pandemic, the hotel authority had been sending two employees annually for Umrah pilgrimage and one employee for Hajj through a lottery system.
Among others present at the program were finance manager Mohammad Alamgir; maintenance manager Arafat; public relations officer and journalist Sayeed Alamgir; security in-charge and former army officer Md. Jalal Uddin; assistant food and beverage manager Kamrul Islam; and employees from different departments of the hotel.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdu Rashid Manik
