June 22, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 17, 1429

KARACHI, June 21: The week-long Benazir Bhutto blood donation drive launched on Saturday at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre received a lukewarm response from people on the first day.

A visit to the JPMC’s blood bank, where arrangements had been made on the federal health ministry’s directives to welcome volunteer donors from among the staffers and people, showed that there was a general lack of awareness regarding an individual’s responsibility towards society and the benefits associated with blood donation.

Present with the specially prepared empty blood bags, printed with a portrait of PPP’s slain chairperson Benazir Bhutto along with the message: “A free gift from martyred Benazir Bhutto to save the lives of the oppressed people”, the staffers failed to see an inspiring number of volunteers till 4pm despite the arrangements made at the hospital and an appeal made to hospital employees and others to make the campaign a success by giving blood generously. The personnel said the blood banks received only 10 donors since morning.

Likewise some other organizations, too, where donation camps were arranged, did not see a very encouraging response on June 20 and 21. According to conservative estimates, the country needs about 3.2 million blood units every year but only half of the required quantity is managed through exchange or replacement blood donors (80 per cent to 82 per cent), commercial donors (11 per cent to 13 per cent) and voluntary donors (3-5 per cent).

Acting Executive Director of the JPMC Dr Seemi Jamali, when contacted, said she hoped that the turnout of donors would increase in the coming days. She said about 1,000 of the special bags for blood collections had been received from the federal ministry, while remaining 6,000 were to follow.

The blood collected from volunteer donors would be stored at the hospital and would be used for poor patients under treatment at JPMC, she added.