KARACHI: Govt urged to initiate WHO programme on safe blood
KARACHI, Sept 17: Health experts including haematologists at a seminar on Saturday demanded that the government should initiate the WHO distant-learning programme, “Safe blood and blood products”, to ensure safe blood transfusion practices and create awareness among general public in Sindh.
The seminar on “Ensuring safe blood transfusion practices”, was organized by the haematology department of Liaquat National Hospital and the Pakistan Society of Haematology at the Liaquat National Hospital.
Consultant Haematologist and PSH President Dr Khalid Zafar Hashmi said that awareness material including handbooks, CDs and literature should be freely available to all blood banks, besides screening reagents (kits) and equipment at affordable rate on flexible terms for private sector.
According to him, blood transfusion has traditionally been a low priority area in health services of developing countries, while Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority existed on paper. The Red Crescent (cross) is very slow, inefficient and ineffective to meet daily needs of blood in Karachi. There was virtually no state response and commercial blood banks thrived on state inadequacy, he asserted.
“Healthcare providers involved in practice of blood transfusion should be provided guidance, non-remunerated blood donors should be encouraged and environment be created to ensure safe blood transfusion service. Information on Sindh Transfusion of Safe Blood Act should have been widely and regularly publicized,” he added.
Dr Hashmi urged the government to include representative of the Pakistan Society of Haematology as member of Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority and a panel of advisers (technicians, media men and philanthropists) should oversee the blood transfusion activities.
Speaking at the seminar, Sindh Secretary Health Prof Noshad Shaikh asked unregistered blood banks to close their illegal business. “People involved in illegal transaction of blood will be sent behind bars, as task force to ensure safe blood transfusion practices in the province has been formed having members from all stakeholders,” he warned.
He said, “Some 38 blood banks have been registered so far in Sindh, while 45 applications are under process. As many as 104 have been asked to close down,” he maintained.
In her presentation on “Transfusion transmittable diseases”, Dr Naila Rahman said that these could be controlled stringent donor selection criteria, use of standardized screening kits and improved techniques for testing and rational approach to blood transfusion.
Dr Hina Qureshi gave introduction of viral hepatitis and said that it was one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality from transfusion. She also shared a trail conducted in this regard.
She stressed such trials should be conducted at large scale and role of the development of complementary blood transfusions units exclusively for Hepatitis B patients be discussed among policy-makers.
Dr Birjees Kazi, Dr Farhana Memon of Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority and Dr Nadir Ali also spoke on the occasion. —PPI
