Governor lauds AP Red Cross for social services

Vijayawada:Andhra Pradesh Governor and president of the Indian Red Cross Society (AP Branch) S. Abdul Nazeer laid a foundation stone for the construction of a new IRCS office building called Red Cross Bhavan at Gandhinagar here on Monday.

The new office building to house the IRCS headquarters for AP is being taken up at a cost of `4 crore spread over 17,000 square feet with a stilt and five floors.

The office of IRCS was shifted from Hyderabad to Vijayawada in 2019, and since then it has been functioning in its branch office of NTR district at the backdrop of undivided AP, which was bifurcated in 2014.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor encouraged the new team of IRCS, AP Branch, for the construction of a new building and appreciated their services for providing alleviation to the sufferings of the needy persons in disasters and emergencies. He also lauded the AP Red Cross for extending help to the blind children and those suffering with autism and mental retardation and to the senior citizens’ home and night shelters across the state.

AP Red Cross provides a free supply of blood and its transfusion to thousands of children suffering from thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia free of cost. Nearly one lakh units of blood are given to the victims of emergency cases every year.

AP Red Cross chairman Y.D. Rama Rao explained a series of activities being initiated by the Red Cross in the state. AP Red Cross general secretary A.K. Parida thanked the Governor for his support and assured to take up more service-oriented programmes for the benefit of the tribals and also for the people living in unreachable areas.

Secretary to the Governor Dr M. Hari Jawaharlal, NTR district collector Dr G. Lakshmisha, municipal commissioner Dhyanachandra, commissioner of police Rajasekhar Babu and others were present.