APROPOS your editorial ‘Blood donation (July 23) The apathy you write about is due to lack of awareness which discourages people from donating blood that is required daily for thalassaemia and other fatal diseases.

Any delay in the supply of blood sometimes results in the patient’s death. In developed nations people donate blood voluntarily knowing that it is good for health and increases a sense of participation in society’s welfare.

Besides the government, private healthcare facilities should also motivate and mobilise the public and the electronic, print and social media to bring about a major improvement in the people’s attitude.

Private hospitals and healthcare facilities must improve their arrangement so that no attendant or any relative is forced to go about in the city at the dead of night to get blood donation.

Edhi, Chhipa, Almaghir and some others can start a campaign to collect blood donations by paying for food, medicines, blood test reports and, if possible, some money to the poor and the needy.

Muhammad Arif Butt

Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2017