Islamabad Medical College Blood Donor Society
Islamabad:The Islamabad Medical and Dental College (IMDC) launched its Blood Donor Society on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day here on Monday.
The IMDC Blood Donor Society, which includes students and faculty members, is headed by Dr. Tahira Zafar, professor of Haematology at IMDC, and will be managed under the patronage of Dr. Ghulam Akbar Niazi, chairman, and Prof. Naseemullah, dean of IMDC.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Tahira said there is a dire need for regular blood donors in Pakistan. She said thousands of people give blood donations on June 14 but these should not just be limited to World Blood Donor Day and should continue throughout the year. She stressed the importance of awareness-raising among the society to donate blood, three to four times a year. “This can help in minimising blood-related diseases which are caused by infectious blood transfusion. Over 70% of all blood collected in Pakistan is given to patients with Thalassaemia,” she shared.
In Pakistan, the major chunk of blood donors comprises replacement donors (70%) while voluntary unpaid donations make only 20%. “It is extremely important to raise the number of voluntary unpaid donations, which provide the safest blood,” Dr. Tahira said.
A single donation of blood can save three lives as preparation of components from this include red cells, plasma and platelets. Blood donations are used in hospitals for thalassaemia, hemophilia, anemia, cancer, kidney failure, dialysis, liver failure in hepatitis C, bleeding after child birth, cardiac bypass, surgery and heavy bleeding in emergencies and road traffic accidents.
The students of IMD also joined the blood camp organised at Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion (AFIT). Officials from various governmental and non-governmental organisations, students and people from different walks of life participated in the event and donated blood to express their gratitude to voluntary blood donors and highlight the significance of regular blood donations for safe blood supply.
World Blood Donor Day provides an opportunity to highlight the fact that voluntary non-remunerated blood donors are the foundation of a safe blood supply because they are associated with significantly lower levels of infections that can be transmitted by transfusion. Screening for transfusion-transmissible infections is essential, but the safest donations come from the safest donors.
Millions of people owe their lives to people they will never meet — people who donate their blood freely and without any reward. However, the overwhelming majority of the world’s population does not have access to safe blood. Over 80 million units of blood are donated every year, but only 38% are collected in developing countries where 82% of the global population lives.
In addition, many countries remain dependent on donation by families or friends of patients who require blood and, in some countries, blood donors still receive payment. Yet, evidence from around the world demonstrates that voluntary unpaid donors are the foundation of a safe blood supply because they are least likely to transmit potentially life-threatening infections, such as HIV and hepatitis viruses, to the recipients of their blood. It is to these unsung heroes that World Blood Donor Day is dedicated.
While it is hoped that World Blood Donor Day will create wider awareness of the importance of voluntary blood donation and encourage more people to become regular blood donors, the purpose is not to attract a big influx of new donors on June 14. Rather, it is designed to celebrate and thank those individuals who voluntarily donate their blood without any reward, except the knowledge that they have helped to save lives, particularly those who give blood on a regular basis two, three or more times each year. It is hoped that a new generation of blood donors will follow their example, providing the safest blood possible for use wherever and whenever it is needed to save life. Youth is therefore the focus of the day.
June 14 has been selected as World Blood Donor Day by three major organisations working for voluntary non-remunerated blood donation: the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations and the International Society of Blood Transfusion. These organizations have been joined by the World Health Organization, which is co-sponsoring the event. Between them, they represent 192-member states, 181 national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 50 national voluntary blood donor organisations and blood transfusion specialists throughout the world.The news
