The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA), remitted 1759 pints of blood to the Blood Transfusion Service during the MRA Blood Donation 2023. Since its inception in 2006, MRA has remitted more than 15 000 pints of blood that have been used in hospitals to save lives.
1184 pints were collected on Wednesday 05 July 2023 in three MRA Offices in Port-Louis, namely MRA Head Office at Ehram Court, Custom House in Mer Rouge and Belfort Tower, Dauphine Street. On Friday 07 July 2023, 575 pints were collected at the Integrated Customs Clearance Centre (ICCC), Le Chaland Road, Plaine Magnien and at the SSR International Airport, Plaisance.
The MRA Blood Donation was officially launched by Dr. the Honourable Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, Minister of Health and Wellness, on Wednesday 05 July 2023 in the presence of Mr. Dhanraj Ramdin, Acting Director-General of MRA, members of the MRA Board, MRA Management Team members, Senior Officials from various Ministries, MRA personnel and blood donors.
In his keynote address, Dr. the Honourable Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, Minister of Health and Wellness lauded this blood donation initiative, which allows the blood bank to maintain its stock levels. “The selflessness and compassion demonstrated by blood donors is truly commendable, as they play an instrumental role in saving lives”, said the Minister. He further explained that the donations will undoubtedly go a long way in providing critical support to patients undergoing surgery, battling lifethreatening illnesses, and facing medical emergencies in hospitals.
According to Dr. Jagutpal,
“health is the basis of achieving social and economic development goals. Therefore, it is essential to have a healthy population”.
During the launching ceremony of MRA Blood Donation 2023, the health minister also spoke about the risk of diabetes and hypertension in Mauritius and expressed his concern about the growing amount of “prediabetes” in the population as well as the prevalence of uncontrolled diabetes. The prevalence of uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of severe health complications such as heart diseases, arterial injury, renal damage and impairment, eye problems and amputation. “30% of the Mauritian population has hypertension and 20% among them are diabetic. Thus, there is a need to double our efforts to prevent these diseases, since all this weighs heavily on the economy”, he stressed.
MRA Blood Donation is an annual “rendezvous” that contributes to saving the lives of thousands of Mauritians. Some 150 pints of blood are required daily in our hospitals, hence the importance of organizing blood donations regularly, Mr. Dhanraj Ramdin, the Acting Director- General of MRA said in his address during the launching ceremony held at the Head Office of MRA.
He added that
“blood is a gift of life that we can share, and it is our responsibility as citizens of Mauritius to contribute to this action, benevolently. Blood is a liquid that no laboratory in the world has been able to reproduce”.
Mr. Ramdin also dwelt on financial assistance schemes. MRA has successfully implemented the Selfemployed Assistance Scheme and the Wage Assistance Scheme for which MRA disbursed around Rs 28 billion. The Negative Income Tax, the Special Allowance and the CSG Income Allowance, are the other schemes which demonstrate a steadfast commitment of MRA towards the most vulnerable in society. The Ag. Director-General rejoiced that MRA has taken proactive steps to put in place the necessary system for the implementation of the one-off Independence Allowance of Rs 20,000 for every Mauritian citizen reaching 18, and a monthly CSG Child Allowance of Rs 2, 000 for children less than 3 years old. He is confident that MRA will accomplish its tasks promptly and efficiently, in the days to come.
The organization of the MRA Blood Donation necessitated many weeks of preparation and collaboration between MRA and the Ministry of Health, through the National Blood Transfusion service (NBTS).
The Ministry of Agro-Industry, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Local Government have actively collaborated by supplying around 1500 plants (spice, medicinal and decorative) that were offered to the donor.
The Taxpayer Education and Communication Department (TECD) of the MRA capitalized on various promotional campaigns on local media outlets as well as the social media to successfully spread the message far and wide, educating the community on the importance of giving blood. A dedicated team of MRA Officers in TECD spearheaded the project, with effective coordination with the Organising Committee, canvassers and external stakeholders.
MRA extends its heartfelt appreciation to all the volunteers, donors, and partners who play a vital role in making this annual event a remarkable success. Their unwavering dedication and support have not only saved lives but also inspired many people to join the cause and become regular blood donors.
In the spirit of consolidating its partnership with the population of Mauritius, MRA will keep on organizing this noble activity every year for those the MRA serves.
Some 16 000 plants distributed to blood donors are blossoming with their fragrance all over the Island of Mauritius.
