Government General Degree College, Keshiary

Best Practices of the College

Title of the practice: Thalassemia detection camp

Objectives of the practice:

The inheritable disease Thalassemia is a major cause of concern for our society. In most of the cases, the disease is silently carried by an individual as a career and transmitted to its unfortunate child. Thalassemic child is difficult to raise due to the associated physiological manifestations and the mental and financial agony faced by the suffering family is painful. Empowering the society with the knowledge of their status on Thalassemia can provide the healing touch for the future generation and awareness of the event is the key to success. In this regard, a team consisting of competent practitioners conduct an awareness program and blood test for this severe inherited blood disorder among students each year except the lockdown times. Students found carriers of thalassemia are counselled along with their parents to prevent this curse from the future society.

The context:

Thalassemia, a blood-borne disease, is genetically inherited in some unfortunate people. Many of the students are carriers of this dreadful disease gene. By analysing some blood parameters, we may detect the carriers of such traits and can suggest them in proper match selection so that no two carriers bring about one thalassemic child. The tryst is directed to create an early warning system for the society in terms of Thalassemia awareness and real time personalised status.

The practice:

Each year a team from The Paschim Medinipur Thalassemia Prevention Society, Paschim Medinipur are invited to our college to test the blood samples of all the newly admitted students of the Semester I. A team consisting of Doctors, Pathologists and Technicians from the Paschim Medinipur Thalassemia Prevention Society conducts an awareness program and subsequently collect blood samples from the students for testing the existence of the inherited blood disorder. The students willfully donate their respective blood samples and are enriched by the awareness talks delivered by the invited experts. The entire event is conducted free of cost. On completion of the test back in their laboratory, reports are sent by the society to our college. The reports are distributed among the respective students and the carrier of the traits are counselled along with their parents about the consequences.

Evidence of Success:

There are two features that mark out the success of this endeavour among both students and the community at large:

1. Firstly, the detection of the carriers of this dreaded inheritable trait creates opportunity of personalised awareness and counselling.
2. Secondly, counselled individuals along with their guardian are being equipped with the knowledge of the disorder and its consequences. Such knowledge and awareness are propagated by these sensitised individuals in their respective society for betterment of the mass.

Problems Encountered:

1. Some structural and logistical constraints were faced during the prolonged lockdown periods when much of the activities were shifted online and restricted to awareness programme only.
2. Parents coming from the rural section of the society sometimes do not understand the ground reality when his/her ward is found to be a carrier of Thalassemic trait. The college has to explain the situation and counsel them in a very modest way.

B. Title of the practice: Blood donation Camp

Objectives of the practice:

Donation of blood for human welfare is a gracious act reflective of a responsible mind. The mentioned act is life saving for numerous patients who are in dire need of the medical supplement. To expression cohesion with the act of social responsibility, the NSS Unit I of Government General Degree College, Keshiary regularly organises blood donation camps within the college in collaboration with the Blood Bank of Kharagpur Sub Divisional Hospital and Red Ribbon Club, West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal.

The context:

Blood is a vital component of human physiology and is required to support dynamic health crises. The supply of such health support components is not available from any industry and the human body is the sole source. The human society thus responsibility volunteers to donate blood to the blood banks to make this essential life component readily available to the patients. Government General Degree College, Keshiary has thus taken it as a motto to contribute to this noble cause to extend solidarity to the society.

The Practice:

The NSS Unit I of Government General Degree College, Keshiary organises blood donation camp in collaboration with some recognized Blood Bank. Few weeks before the scheduled programme, the NSS Unit 1 volunteer campaigns within the institute in search for prospective donors and make the students aware of the importance of blood donation for the society. The teachers also sensitise the students about the event and assure them about the outcome of the event. A team of Doctors, Nurses and Technicians conducts the event within the college campus. The college administration provides all infrastructural support for the said event. The teachers, non-teaching staff and students of the college actively and willfully volunteer to donate the precious life-saving component and thereby feel satisfied by contributing to the society.

Evidence of Success:

In the Academic Year 2022-2023, two blood donation camps have been organised by the NSS Unit I, Government General Degree College, Keshiary in collaboration with the district Blood Banks. The students, teachers and non-teaching staff including the Officer in Charge of the college contributed to the endeavours by donating their blood. The students are now convinced and motivated about the good outcome of the act and they are more than happy to be a part of the tryst.

Problems Encountered:

Many of the female students who actively volunteered to donate were restrained from the act as the doctor’s preliminary examination found them undernourished and underweight.

Photo gallery of the Thalassemia detection camps organised by the Government General Degree College, Keshiary

Letter of consent for organizing blood donation camp at Government General Degree College, Keshiary on 17.10.2022

Letter of consent for organizing blood donation camp at Government General Degree College, Keshiary on 29.03.2023