"The need for blood bags every year is 5.6 million. If one donor can donate 2–3 blood bags a year, we need between 1.8 million–2.8 million donors who never stop donating consistently every year," he pointed out at the 22nd PMI National Conference in Jakarta on Monday.
He added that the PMI is also contributing to efforts to mobilize and invite donors and ensure that 2.8 million people donate blood twice a year.
"Therefore, we really need PMI. I thank PMI chairman Jusuf Kalla and all friends at PMI," Sadikin said.
According to the minister, the PMI is carrying out a humanitarian task that cannot be undertaken by the government alone.
"This is a big humanitarian work. In every humanitarian work such as health and education, the government cannot work alone," he said.
The minister then drew attention to the importance of all components of the nation being inclusive and using the power of social capital to benefit others.
"This must be done together by the components of the nation, not only by the government. We must build this as a movement where all components of the nation can use the social capital as a nation for the common good," Sadikin expounded.
At the 22nd PMI National Conference, Kalla was re-appointed as the PMI chairperson by acclamation.
On the same occasion, the chair of West Java PMI, Adang Rochjana, said that the decision was conveyed by the majority of national conference participants consisting of PMI administrators at the provincial, district, and city levels.
The majority of the 490 National Conference participants expressed their full support for Kalla's leadership, Rochjana added.
"Of the 490 attendees who represented 34 PMIs at the provincial level and one National Volunteer Forum (Forelnas), they voiced a positive response to the accountability report of the PMI general chairperson and supported Jusuf Kalla to lead PMI again," he informed.
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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti P, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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