On the occasion of World Blood Donors Day celebration in the week from June 14 – 21, 2010, Muhammad Fareed, Publisher and Managing Editor, Medical Review interviewed Dr. Hasan Abbas Zaheer, National Programme Manager, National Blood Transfusion Services Project, Ministry of Health, Islamabad. Following are excerpts of the interview.
1. Please tell us something about yourself.
Ans – I am Medical Graduate with Ph.D in Haematology from University of London and my special interest is in Safe Blood Transfusion. Now I am working as a National Programme Manager, National Blood Transfusion Services Project, Ministry of Health, Islamabad. Before that I served in National AIDS Control Program (NACP) as Program Manager and have served in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad in the Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion Services as an Assistant Professor and later on as an Associate Professor.
2. When and why the celebration of the Day started.
Ans – This celebration was started in 2005 and a number of International partners like WHO, International Federation for Red Crescent and other partners decided to hold the day every year to honour the sacrifice of Voluntary Blood Donors and motivate others to donate blood. They selected 14th June as World Blood Donors Day every year because it is Karl Landstiener’s birthday, who discovered ABO blood group.
3. Tell us about the Safe Blood Transfusion Project (where it stand, its brief introduction).
Ans – In 2004, Government of Germany offered Ministry of Health (MoH) of Pakistan for National Assistance worth 70 million US$ to start Safe Blood Transfusion Project in Pakistan. Unfortunately, their offer was not availed earlier, but in the last 2 years we have managed to get a lot of work done and developed PC-1 for the National Blood Transfusion Project and finally it was approved in March 2010 by Planning Commission of Pakistan. This National Blood Transfusion Service Project has been started and it is jointly funded by Germany and Government of Pakistan.
Q – Give a brief overview of the Blood Donation Camps organized across the country. Who is basically organizing.
Ans – This year Ministry of Health (MoH) has decided to combine World Blood Donors Day with the Birthday Anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The donor day fall on June 14th and Mohtarma’s birthday is on June 21st. So the Government of Pakistan have decided to hold a one week National Voluntary Blood Transfusion campaign and various blood camps were arranged in different parts of the country. These camps will be arranged by the public and private sector blood banks. The Party workers and general public will come forward and donate blood in these voluntary camps.
5. Tell us about the Seminar organized and the target of the blood donation week.
Ans – The main idea of World Blood Donors Week celebration is to motivate the people to donate blood voluntarily. Once they start donating blood, we will be sensitizing them on the importance of regularly donating blood during this week. So, we are focusing on two things; one is donating blood voluntarily and secondly sensitizing the people on donating blood regularly.
6. The donations collected in the week, where they will be utilized.
Ans – In five district of Sindh, blood camps were organized in district hospitals. The camps are being managed by semi blood banks or Fatmid Blood Bank. The donated blood will be used in the local blood banks and also in Thalassemia centres.
7. When the Safe Blood Transfusion Project will start. How it will be implemented.
Ans – Safe Blood Transfusion Project has already been started in March 2010. Two German firms would assist us in the implementation of this project. One of the firms will be providing us technical assistance and is already here and working with us and second firm will arrive in September 2010. The MoH is also in the process of making this project into an independent program.
Q – There is lack of adequate transfusion services in peripheral areas. What can be done to reduce the suffering of these.
Ans – This is the ultimate to provide universal coverage in the entire country, but in the first phase, we will be having some limited coverage in some large and medium size cities. But ultimately in second and third phase the coverage will be extended and eventually we will have universal coverage.
9. Any thing you wish to add.
Ans – I would request everyone to come forward and donate blood to pay homage to the sacrifices of voluntary blood donors. Once you donate blood, make sure that you keep on regularly donating blood because regular donors are safest donors.