Public awareness about safe blood donation stressed

Islamabad : Health expert and critical care specialist Dr Fazal Rabi has stressed for creating public awareness about ‘safe blood transfusion’ to save countless lives.

He shed light on the importance of voluntary unpaid blood transfusion as Pakistan’s annual blood transfusion requirement is approximately 48 lakh per year. Talking to media on Saturday, he said that in Pakistan, the awareness campaigns were more essential as the rate of blood donation was still low as compared to the rest of the world, adding, in Pakistan, over 66 percent of total blood transfused is donated.

“There is a need to create awareness about voluntary blood donation to dispel misconceptions about blood donation. Creating the necessary infrastructure for making donations, screening the donated blood and its preservation on internationally accepted standards and norms are essential,” he explained.

Replying to a question, he said that safe donating blood was not only helping the ailing humanity, but it also prevented the person from various diseases, adding that it was the collective responsibility of the society to encourage the population age between 18 to 60 to embrace the noble act of blood donation, as it is through joint efforts that lives can be saved.

He said it is a common myth that donating blood leads to weakness or health problems but in reality, the human body is capable of replenishing donated blood within a short period, typically within 24-48 hours. Expert said persons can donate blood safely once in every four months, adding, blood transfusion saves lives and improves health.