KARACHI, June 12: Observing that Pakistan is not up to the mark as far as the annual collection of blood units is concerned, speakers at a seminar stressed the need for motivating new voluntary blood donors and ensuring and safe uses of blood and its byproducts. They also called for maintaining uniform standards for screening of blood and doing away with the practice of using the whole blood only, particularly in rural areas.

The seminar was organised by the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) in connection with the World Blood Donor Day to be observed on June 14. The theme for the event this year is ‘Every blood donor is a hero’.

Dr Tahir Shamsi of the National Institute of Blood Diseases told the seminar participants that due to years-long efforts, the illegal trading in the blood of ‘commercial donors’ had been curbed to a great extent and safe blood transfusion had also been made possible in Sindh and other parts of the country. He described this as a big achievement towards containing transfusion-related mortalities.

He said that health service providers should be educated on a maximum utilisation of blood units received at blood banks. Efforts should also be made for preparation of at least three by-products out of one unit of whole blood, he suggested, adding that one blood unit could save the lives of three patients.

Dr Sarfraz Jaffery informed participants of the seminar about the ‘national volunteer blood donors organisation being set up to help promote the cause. He hoped that it would give impetus to the collection of safe blood. Under the federal government supervision, coordination among various blood donor organisations, it would accelerate and promote exchange of blood units, including those of rare groups, he added.

He said that safe blood was one that did not contain any virus, parasite, drugs, alcohol, chemical substance or other such elements that could cause a harm recipients’ life or health.

He said that the country’s annual requirement of blood for transfusion was around 2.6 million units while the collection stood at between 1.5 million and 1.6 million units.

“Even a city like Karachi has not been able to meet its share of the requirement i.e. 445,000 unit per year as only 75 per cent of the quantity was collected,” he said. Giving a break up, he said the collection comprised 84 per cent through exchange blood donors, five per cent through voluntary donors and 11 per cent through commercial donors. He called for increasing the rate of voluntary blood donors with the support of community, blood bank and good clinical practices.

Prof Akbar Agha of the Dow University of Health Sciences said that voluntary donors deserved all appreciation as what they had been donating worked significantly in the case of ailing individuals.

Naila Asghar of the Patients Welfare Association at the Civil Hospital Karachi said that the blood bank at CHK was having an output of 250 blood bags per day, which was being provided in the shape of whole blood and its components to thalassaemia and other patients admitted at this and some other hospitals.

Sindh Health Secretary Aftab Khatri and SBTA Secretary Dr Zahid Ansari apprised the seminar participants of the efforts being made by the provincial government for an improved blood transfusion and blood banking environment, as well as for the elimination of incompetent and corrupt service providers.