Transfusion medicine and blood banking

Doctors stress upon the importance of safe blood to eradicate diseases like Thalassaemia, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis. There is a dire need to raise awareness amongst the people since prevention is better than cure. The importance of private sector's role in the promotion of health care facilities in Pakistan cannot be overlooked. Though the government has placed health care amongst its top priority.
It has been working towards eradication of polio, maternal and child mortality, creating nation-wide awareness of the HIV/AIDS and more recently towards improving the quality of blood banks. But like all governments of developing countries, our government looks towards the private sector for supplementing their efforts and the private sector on its part are committed to provide all sorts of assistance and facilities to the government in their endeavour for public welfare.
Latest trends for recruitment and retention of voluntary blood donors
It is observed that people usually do not donate blood unless they are asked for. Educating people about donating blood will change this attitude. There are several myths and misconceptions about blood donation in the general public, which must be changed.
For this purpose we have to start from home, because the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world that is mothers and housewives can educate children to donate blood. People really do want to help we just have to encourage them.
Advertising is a must to achieve the goal of safe blood. Therefore, all means of advertising visual and audio or electronic ways that is telephone, mobile phones, e-mails, websites all and all should be used in educating and spreading awareness in the society. Walks are organised to make awareness about the blood donation.
Highlight the importance of voluntary non-remunerated donations.
Continued motivation and education of potential donors. Involving important public figures and community leaders in education programmes. Informing the potential donors about the high-risk behaviour is necessary.
Repeat donors are the safest blood donors. The best donor recruitment tool is the satisfied blood donor. According to a study the risks of HBV, HCV and HIV infections is low in second and third times blood donors.
Providing safety to the blood donor means we are ensuring the safety of the recipient. As quality assurance in all blood donors related issues will lead to safe blood collection.
Blood donors must be treated as customers and the staff of the blood-receiving organisation must satisfy him/her. The information about the donor must be confidential, as confidentiality, transparency and tracability are must to promote regular donors. Quality assurance in all donor-related issues is a must to achieve the maximum output.
Well trained, committed, enthusiastic, dedicated motivators blood bank staff, blood users, administrators are the key to bring back the donor for donation. Therefore, pre-donation care, care during the donation, post-donation care are now extremely important to achieve the goal of safe blood donation.
There is no sense in having big donors just treats donors with TLC (tender, love, and care). Have a friendly, welcoming centre with good amenities, the donor will come back again for donation. As most donors are family, friends and recruited on behalf of specific patients, most never come back.
Directory of blood donors must be updated to facilitate the recipients. There is an urgent need for preventing transfusion - transmitted infections by assuring harmlessness of blood donation.
Educating people about risk associated with blood collected from paid blood donors. Assuring harmlessness of blood donation by safety of blood donors. Community responsibility towards blood donation also counts.
WHICH PEOPLE CAN DONATE?
Youth in schools and colleges people at work places that is employees, factory workers etc, general population organisers of blood donation campaign. Religious and community leaders also donate to motivate people.
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE:
Recommendations are needed for a new national infrastructure, which will increase co-ordination of governmental and private blood banks with special emphasise on health and education for better public awareness of the preventive measures taken during blood donation and blood transfusion to stop the spread of the dreadful blood diseases.
Different private sector organisations, centres and trusts are providing a wide range of services to thousands of people suffering from different blood disorders and are in need of blood on regular basis or patients who need emergency blood donation. Providing safe and screened blood to the general public is a very daunting task.
In accordance with WHO standard the training of governmental and non-governmental blood banks is a must. An institute is required that open the doors for study and transfer of knowledge on a regular basis and provide means to get benefit from the development taking place in transfusion medicine and blood banking in any other country of the world.
CHALLENGES:
-- The main challenges faced by our country include large population, huge requirements, diversity in race, language and social cultures;
-- No organised planning strategies for promotion of voluntary blood donation;
-- Lack of estimate blood requirements;
-- Low risk donors identity and target population;
-- Develop effective education and motivation campaign to recruit voluntary donors;
-- Blood storage and transportation.
ESTIMATED REQUIREMENTS:
-- To develop an organised system following will be the estimated requirements;
-- Total population;
-- Number of total hospital beds;
-- Number of acute emergency beds;
-- Medical facilities available in the area;
-- Annual blood usage;
-- Know local population and demography;
-- Identify their needs;
-- Lifestyle and social behaviour;
-- Health and socio-economic status;
-- Donor suitability;
-- Epidemology seroprevalence;
-- Plan cost-effective requirement derives.