The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced that it has directed all blood banks in the state to use the blood donation feature on Facebook to reach out to the voluntary donors.

The government feels social media can help to create awareness and enable voluntary blood donations. The state government has issued a directive to all blood banks and hospitals in the state to use the Facebook blood donation feature, in order to bridge the gap between blood donors and nearby blood banks.

"We believe that blood donation feature on Facebook will help us to reach out to many donors and encourage them to donate. It can also be one of the fastest and seamless ways, to let donors know of critical blood needs in their areas," said C. Vijaya Baskar, Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister. All banks have gone through comprehensive training workshops to join on board the Facebook blood donation feature and have also learnt how they can connect with donors on this social media site, based on their needs.

Over 22 million people in India have registered as blood donors on Facebook. "Our partnership with the government of Tamil Nadu is an extension of our commitment to make sure blood banks have access to these donors/blood banks regularly and help to create safe and sustainable supply of blood," said Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India.

Launched in 2017, blood donation feature on Facebook connects people willing to donate blood with opportunities nearby. People can sign up as donors on this social media platform and get notified when blood banks nearby post about their blood requirements.