The members, mostly medical representatives, of the Thalssaemic Day Care Centre said they were moved by the plight of thalassaemic kids from humble background, who were unable to meet the monthly expenditure for blood transfusion. It costs roughly Rs 10,000 per month.

"Children inherit the disease from their parents and require blood transfusion at least once or twice a month. Since there is already shortage of blood units in hospitals and the treatment is expensive, many kids from poor families are left to fate. We, therefore, vowed that no thalassaemic kid from the city will suffer due lack of blood or financial requirement," said Manjit Saini, president, Salaam Zindagi.

There are 252 thalassaemic patients, most of them less than 10 years, who are treated every month for blood transfusion at the hospital.

Salaam Zindagi will hold monthly blood donation camp to cater to the need of around 240-250 blood units per month for transfusion.

"Apart from blood units and transfusion costs, drugs worth over Rs 4,000 every fortnight are also to be borne by the patient," said Dr Praveen Sobti, in charge of Thalassaemic Day Care Centre at DMCH.

Social worker and Punjab Thalassaemic Welfare Society Chairperson Rashmi Karwa said 15 children whose families cannot afford the expenditure are being given free treatment by the society.

Dr Sobti added that it was therefore much more than a project and will go a long way in the service of the humanity.

"As far as other diseases are concerned, as an NGO, we can only impart awareness, but in thalassaemia, we can go a step beyond by donating blood for these children. So we have decided that on the tenth day of every month, we will be holding a blood donation camp where not only our members will participate but we would also invite people from all walks of life. Unlike other diseases such as AIDS and drug addiction patients can also be at fault but not in this disease," Davinder Sahni, director of Salaam Zindagi pointed out.