World Blood Donor Day was celebrated at Kulsum International Hospital (KIH) on June 16 for raising awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products for all needy patients.
The day is celebrated every year as an annual event to appreciate and recognize the sacrifice of Non-Remunerated Voluntary Blood Donors (NRVBD) who donate their blood
to save lives.
The theme for World Blood Donor Day 2012 is “Every Blood Donor is a Hero”. This special day is utilized to celebrate the role of voluntary blood donors around the world, it is hoped that a new generation of blood donors will emerge and provide sufficient supplies of the safest blood possible for use wherever and whenever it is needed to save lives.
KIH celebrated this day by inviting the local community, members of the civil society and NBTP organiser. The welcome speech was given by Dr Aftab Ahmed Khan (Consultant Hematologist) who highlighted the role of blood banks in providing safe blood transfusion to all patients. He emphasised that safe blood could only be provided by centers which follow standard essentials for screening and storing blood and its components. At KIH this is achieved by a team of dedicated Technicians, Technologist, Managers and Consultants who ensure that these standards have been followed in letter & spirit.
At KIH all blood components are screened and tested by following international standards and processes. All blood components are screened and confirmed Negative/Non-Reactive for hepatitis B, C, HIV, Malaria and Syphilis. KIH is presently acquiring state of the art technology for blood screening NAT (Nucleic Acid Testing). This methodology will be the first of its kind in the region and it will ensure that the window period of TTIs (Transfusion Transmitted Infections) particularly Hepatitis C is reduced closer to zero. Ensuring that no infected blood and or its components are ever transfused at KIH. Dr Hassan Abbas Zaheer, chief guest and project director of the Safe Blood Transfusion Services Programme, also contributed and addressed that this year theme clearly speaks about the worth of blood donors. It also reinforces the urgent need for more people all over the world to become Hero and lifesavers by volunteering to donate their blood on a regular basis. The theme is utilized to recognize and applause national blood transfusion services, blood donor organizations and other non-governmental organizations in strengthening and expanding their voluntary blood donor programmes and to reinforce regional, national and local campaigns.
It is estimated that blood donation by 1% of the population (10 per 1,000 population) is generally the minimum needed to meet a nation’s most basic requirements for blood. Of the 85.4 million blood donations collected all over the world in 2007, about 65% were collected in developed countries, home to just about 25% of the world’s population. Challenging standards of quality and safety for the collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution of human blood and blood components have been set and successfully attained.
Dr Quaid Saeed, WHO Country Office programme officer, also mentioned that how much WHO is interested to promote voluntary blood donations across the country. He further added that health & safety of both blood donors and recipients is the ultimate objective of WHO particularly in developing countries and WHO is striving for this noble cause very eagerly & effectively.
KIH administrator Dr Syed Muntazir Mehdi gave the final note and delivered his message that we at KIH are committed to deliver “premier healthcare services” to the community. On this occasion he emphasized that to ensure the safe blood transfusion public-private partnership is the need of the hour. Since screening if TTI is costly so such kind of combination will promote the screening at affordable prices. He also added that being one of the stakeholders of the subject we emphasize the clean blood donation, efficient and accurate screening of TTIs and safe blood transfusions here at KIH. Our motto is to give infection free blood to every patient and we are practicing it. But after getting NAT we would achieve a milestone in even safer blood transfusion.
To ensure the availability of volunteer donors KIH is working on the idea of developing IT application using SMS texting where by in case of emergency Volunteer Blood Donors having that particular area will be automatically notified through SMS.
This will be a web-based application. This use of Information and Communication Technology will be the 1st of its kind in Pakistan.
At the end he paid profound gratitude to all honorable guests and participants especially Dr Hassan Abbas Zaheer, Dr Quaid Saeed, Dr Aftab Ahmed Khan, Dr Uzma Anjum (SBT), Dr Bashir Ahmed (IIUI), Dr Arshad Malik (IIUI), Dr Asma Gul (IIUI) and Mr Hannan Ali Abbasi (President National Youth Assembly).
He also praised the efforts of Mr Asim Ansari (Manager Lab/Blood Bank) and his team to arrange this event
at KIH.