BEKASI (7 December 2019) – The Social Affairs Minister Juliari P. Batubara launched the Blood Donation Month as the marker of Commemoration series of National Social Solidarity Day (HKSN) on 2019. The Minister persuaded the journalist and public to donate their blood.

According to the Minister, the blood donation was known with the humanitarian value other than being positive for the body’s health.

“To the journalist, let’s join the blood donation. It is positive act, because it can grow the concerns toward the other person, and contributes to increase the national blood stock which has high demand,” said the Minister on the Launching of Blood Donation Month of National Social Solidarity Day 2019 in Bekasi, Saturday (07/12/2019).

The Social Affairs Minister persuaded all stakeholders, public, including the journalist for not hesitated to donate their blood. “I have already done this in the past. It’s been four or five times. But I stop it. The blood donation is not good if we do it alone,” said the Minister who was born in Jakarta, on 22 July of 1972, before donated his blood.

“Donation is part of conserving the values of social solidarity in real action,” said by the alumnus of Riverside City College and Chapman University in USA.

“Because in blood donation, there are aspects of volunteering, willingness to sacrifice, great desire to help the others without seeing the background of them,” said the Minister.

According to the former Chairman of Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI), social solidarity was a relevant issue in the middle of political, economy, socio-cultural which kept facing against new challenges.

Therefore, the HKSN was not only meant to be a routine activity but had to impact our solidarity. “The blood donation activity is also the real action related to the social solidarity,” said by the father of two children.

In the activity which been held on the Grand Metropolitan Mall, the Social Affairs Minister Juliari donated his blood together with the other officials such as Director General of Social Empowerment Pepen Nazaruddin and all the structural and functional on the MoSA.

The Launching Event of Blood Donation Month on HKSN 2019, was the kick off from the implementation of National Social Solidarity Day on 2019. There were some stakeholders who participated in this event, such as Hotel Horizon, Universities, Indonesian Army, the Metropolitan Mall’s Employee, Kal Care Grand Metropolitan’s tenant, Metropolitan Land’s Partner and public in general.

The Head of HKSN 2019 Committee Kris Budiharjo stated that, last year the blood donation activity has succeeded to gather 5.205 pack of blood.

“This year, the blood donation held together in 14 province, more than 30 cities, and more than 50 locations. The target is to collect 8.000 packs of blood.
Kris added, as the appreciation to the donors, Red Cross Indonesia with the government presented achievement toward the Blood Donation Voluntaries (DDS) which donated their blood 15, 30, 50, 75, and 100 times.

According to Kris, for the blood donators who had donated their blood for 100 times, they will be proposed to receive the highest achievement from the government for humanitarian. “The achievement will be called Satyalancana Kebaktian Sosial which will be presented by the President of Republic of Indonesia,” he said.

The Blood Donation Month which been held in the commemoration of National Social Solidarity Day on 2019 in Kal Care Tenant, Metropolitan Mall Bekasi today, was a cooperation between the Central HKSN 2019 Committee, Ministry of Social Affairs of Republic of Indonesia, Red Cross Indonesia and Metropolitan Care Foundation. This was one of the event series in commemoration of HKSN 2019.

There are several officials who accompanied the Social Affairs Minister in this event, such as Director General of Social Empowerment Pepen Nazaruddin, Inspector General Dadang Iskandar, Special Staff to the Minister Erwin Tobing, the Chairman of HKSN Central Committee Kris Budiharjo, the officials from Bekasi, structural and functional officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Acting Head of Public Relations Bureau
The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs
Sonny W Manalu