19 December 2004	Sunday	06 Ziqa'ad 1425

KARACHI, Dec 18: South Asian region countries, in general, lack a comprehensive and safe blood donation mechanism due to inadequate education, rampant myths and truant volunteer blood donation culture.

Experts and hematologists from across the region, addressing a two-day seminar on "Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking" with the theme "Safe Blood - a Basic Human Right" here on Saturday observed that despite all odds the human nature to help and deliver could be maximized in an efficient and organized manner for the sake of humanity.

Addressing the seminar, Dr Kulbir Kaur, Head of Transfusion Medicine, Government Medical College, Ludhiana - India, Prof Mujib ur Rehman from Bangladesh, Dr S. Sarfaraz Jafry, National Project Director of Training for Safe Blood Techniques - Pakistan, Dr Bindu Sara, Director, National Blood Transfusion Services - Sri Lanka, Dr K.K.S. Kuruppu, Medical Officer, National Blood Transfusion Services - Sri Lanka, Dr Manita Rajkarnikar, Chief, Central Blood Transfusion, Nepal highlighted significance of repeated donor who also ought to be volunteer.

At the two-day seminar, organized by Hussaini Blood Bank which coincides with its silver jubilee, it was stated that a comprehensive approach was required to identify the low risk population and efforts to restore their confidence on the system.

It was suggested that NGOs as well as government organizations involved in blood collection and safe blood transfusion services could be involved to identify potential blood donors with due consideration to ensure that all concerns of the first time donors was efficiently addressed and constant contact was maintained with them so that they could be encouraged to donate for next time.

The participants reminded that all men aged between 17 and 60 years with sound health record could donate two to three times a year while women once a year. The speakers observed that women in South Asia were generally discouraged to donate blood - a genuine explanation could be their comparatively poor nutritional status and lower haemoglobin levels.

This was further stated that despite court orders and necessary legislation South Asian nations, with certain exception of Sri Lanka and Nepal, the professional blood donors continued to thrive.

Caste-based barriers towards blood donation were identified to be a problem in Nepal where individuals pertaining to lower castes were discouraged to donate. In India, however, complete confidentiality of donors was said to be maintained.

Prof Kulbir Kaur regretted absence of organized national blood programme in her country as well as in other South Asian countries with the exception of Sri Lanka and Nepal. The system in Nepal was managed under the Nepal Red Cross Society.

Prof Mujibur Rehman, the first professor in Transfusion Medicine and a pioneer of Blood Transfusion Services in both Pakistan and Bangladesh, mentioned that blood screening was mandatory in Bangladesh and volunteer blood donation culture was gradually gaining grounds there.

He also mentioned that according to recent estimates there happened to be some 13,000 HIV carriers in Bangladesh including 248 with full blown AIDS, 40 of these were also stated to have died of the disease.

In his presentation on evaluation of HBV, HCV and HIV in first time blood donors, Dr Abbas Pourazar of the University of Medical Sciences, Iran, referred to a strong blood donation culture where 85 per cent of the population donates blood as a practice and there existed a blood screening system ensuring safety of the same.

Dr Graeme Woodfield, specialist in Medicine Transfusion from New Zealand, underscored the importance of "Donors Retention" with major emphasis on donors' care and donors' satisfaction.

According to senior health care providers, any complaint of donors ought to be duly addressed as this would pave way for his emergence as a regular donor and that pre-donation care as well as post-donation cultured should also be ensured.

He also recommended innovative strategies to motivate public particularly youth to donate blood with emphasis on its significance for their own safety as well as that of others.

Earlier, the Dean of Aga Khan University, Prof Mohammad Khurshid, inaugurated the two-day conference. - APP