NAP sought to address blood shortages during pandemic

Islamabad : The coronavirus pandemic has posed serious challenges to Pakistan’s nascent reformed blood transfusion system, said expert Prof Hasan Abbas Zaheer.

"In view of the current COVID-19-induced health crisis, the government should immediately take stock of the blood security situation in the country and entrust the responsibility of ensuring adequate blood supplies to its Safe Blood Transfusion Programme (SBTP). And the SBTP should come up with a national action plan immediately to address blood shortages, especially through its nationwide network of regional blood centres and their linked hospital blood banks, for routine, emergency and thalassaemia patients as well as coronavirus patients," Prof Hasan, the former SBTP national coordinator, told 'The News' on the eve of the World Blood Donor Day to be marked today (Sunday).

The expert said blood transfusion was the single most important lifesaving intervention in healthcare settings, so the availability of safe blood to all people for transfusion without discrimination should be ensured.

He said in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governments couldn't neglect the gaps and deficiencies in healthcare systems, including the blood transfusion one.

"The pandemic has posed special challenges to Pakistan’s nascent reformed blood system. As a result of lockdown and fears of virus spread, blood donors suddenly vanished causing severe shortages of blood with blood banks in March. However, public awareness through media, especially by thalassaemia patients, blood banks were suddenly inundated by voluntary donors leading to the availability of surplus blood in the system. The trend didn't last long causing the return of severe blood shortages, which still persist," he said.

Prof Hasan said as the COVID-19 epidemic peaked in Pakistan, there was a huge demand for passive immunisation through the transfusion of convalescent blood plasma after its endorsement by the provincial and federal governments.

"Now, there is a sudden and desperate demand for convalescent plasma. It is primarily the responsibility of the state to ensure adequate plasma supplies for patients, who need it," he said.

The expert said in the absence of a nationally coordinated effort or policy for the collection of plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients, the civil society had tried to fill the vacuum to the best of their ability but that didn't bring about very satisfactory or safe results to the misery of affected families.

"Some unscrupulous elements, too, are exploiting the situation," he said.

Prof Hasan said the World Blood Donor Day being marked amid pandemic pushed the government for strengthening blood safety system reforms being implemented nationwide since 2010 through the SBTP with the support of the German government and technical assistance of the World Health Organisation.

"Sustainable reforms will ensure the patients' access to safe and quality blood through 100 per cent voluntary and regular donations," he said.