Blood donation reduces chances of heart attacks: experts

KARACHI, June 25: The need for developing a culture of voluntary blood donation was strongly recomended in the backdrop of the fact that 75 per cent of the country's blood requirement is met through professional donors, leaving a large number of recipients vulnerable to a wide range of diseases.
Experts addressing te inaugural session of the first and free " On Line Blood Donor Service," said the country's blood need of 1.5 million unit per year could be easily met provided only one per cent of the 140 countrymen, with appropriate health credentials, commit themselves to donate blood regularly after every three months.
Dr Syed Abdul Mujib of the JPMC, while reminding that 70 per cent of the local women at one or the other point of their lives required blood transfusion, stressed the need to dispel the delusion regarding donation culture.
"This has been scientifically established that regular blood donation reduces chances of heart attack," he said.
He said that the shrinking size of the family has reduced chances for a single family to arrange more than two to three units of blood for their needy relativs and hence there is a dire need to create provision for safe blood availability round-the-clock in all blood banks and hospitals.
The pathologists also called for proper storage facilities for blood donors in access to actual need particularly during an emergency situation.
Doctor Farhan Essa suggested for family blood donation campaign stressing that this might be done after proper screening of the donor's blood who may even be a close relative of the recipient.
It was submitted that local blood banks must assure proper conformation of the blood group of the donor prior to each transfusion.
Mr Sohail Sehto regretted the lack of political will towards the importance of safe blood transfusion services and said that despite the passage of more than five years after the establishment of Sindh Safe Blood Transfudion Authority the blood banks operating in private sectors were yet to be registered.
The situation, he said, had failed to bring blood banks, more than 100 in Karachi only, under a system making it mendatory that they apply all required measures for dispensation of screened and safe blood among the people.
Dr Irfan of the JPMC suggested public sensitization about the conditions during which they should avoid donating blood.
"While encouraging volunteers willing to donate blood a cautious approach is also simultaneously needed" he said adding that this was a prerequisite for promoting the availability of safe and health blood.
Earlier, while inaugurating the online blood donor service, the federal interior minister, Moinuddin Haider, urged the people to extend a helping hand to the government to overcome the menace of illeteracy , poverty, secterianism and other multifarious problems.
"The task undertaken by the present government to streamline the deteriorating affairs is monumental and can not be tackled single handedly by the regime as all sections of the populations will have to discharge their national obligations in this regard," he said.---APP/PPI