Donate blood, save patients battling hepatitis, urges Jammu Young Blood Association

Jammu, Jul 28 (UNI) Appealing to young people to become regular donors, the Jammu Young Blood Association today urged the society to donate blood and save the patients battling hepatitis disease.
On World Hepatitis Day, President of the Young Blood Association, Satwant Singh Rissam in a handout here urged the community, especially the youth, to come forward and donate blood to support people living with hepatitis and facing liver related emergencies.
Rissam further said that the World Health Organization’s 2026 theme — “Hepatitis: Let’s break it down” — highlights the need to remove barriers to life‑saving services and accelerate progress toward eliminating hepatitis by 2030.
“We should all work to make this happen. Viral hepatitis B and C can cause chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer, and many patients need timely transfusions and platelet support to survive and recover,” he said.
“Patients with hepatitis often need immediate transfusion support,” Rissam further said that blood donation is essential for hepatitis patients because transfusions help treat anemia caused by chronic liver disease, replace blood lost during sudden bleeding episodes such as variceal hemorrhage, and provide critical support during liver surgeries and transplants.
Rissam added that regular, voluntary, screened blood donation not only saves lives but also builds a strong culture of compassion and social responsibility.
He appealed to young people to become regular donors, inspire friends to join the movement, and help ensure safe blood is always available for patients in need.