Six blood banks of Muhammadi Haematology Oncology Services and Welfare Foundation (MHOSWF) in Karachi and other parts of the country have provided more than 300,000 units of safe blood and its components during 15 years since its establishment.
Of them, around 200,000 units of blood and components were provided in the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) alone. Sarwar Ali, president MHOSWF, Chief Executive Officer Mehdi Rizvi and Executive Medical Director Professor Dr Mohammad Usman, addressed a press conference at the Karachi Press Club to brief reporters on MHOSWF's performance.
They said these blood banks are playing a vital role in providing safe blood and its part to various areas of the country, which is clearly evident from the fact that more than 30,000 units of blood and its components are being provided every year by these blood banks.
"More than 40,000 units of safe blood and its components have been provided to the children suffering from thalassemia in two thalassemia centres located in Karachi and Multan," Sarwar Ali said, adding that the number of our registered blood donors has gone over 7,000.
He said the MHOSWF was founded in 2003 by late Akbar Kamani and Mehdi Rizvi and he became part of it in 2005. The foundation's headquarters was established in Karachi while its branches were set up in the NICVD, United Hospital at Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Korangi Karachi, Multan and Skardu. The Korangi branch is established in the 500-bed Creek General Hospital, which is also a teaching hospital for a medical college.
He said the patients residing in remote districts of Sindh were finding it extremely hard to get safe blood and its components especially, for which the MHOSWF founded its blood bank in Zainab General Hospital in Makli Thatta in year 2017, which is serving both the general patients and the children suffering from thalassemia.
Similarly, he said, there was a vast region in the southern Punjab where facilities to treat blood diseases were non-existent and the MHOSWF set up a blood bank and a thalassemia centre in 2009 in Multan to provide such facilities to the people who were in dire need of such services. Apart from the people of southern Punjab, these facilities also help meeting the needs of the Nishtar Hospital.
He said Skardu was a place where dangerous accidents were generally being reported. Besides, people needed such facilities because mothers would die due to pregnancy-related complications for not timely getting blood. People in Skardu had to travel for almost a day to go to Rawalpindi to get blood. There was no concept of safe blood and its components there. The situation forced the MHOSWF to set up a facility in Skardu in 2012 where people are being provided safe blood and its products without any cost. This facility is situated in District Headquarters Hospital, Skardu.
CEO Mehdi Rizvi said the Muhammadi Haematology Oncology Services and Welfare Foundation said the facility was established in the NICVD in 2006; since then the MHOSWF was helping the hospital to its full potential. The charity is providing safe blood to those thalassemia centres, which have credibility and better track record in serving the children with thalassemia.
He said because of relentless awareness campaign by the charity the number of the registered blood donors had surpassed 7,000 in Karachi, Multan and Skardu who donate blood on regular basis. He said those volunteers were from the Pakistan Rangers, Pakistan Army, special security units, Sindh policemen, students, teachers, workers, members of various political, religious groups and journalist community.
He praised the present executive director of the NICVD who had opened the doors for everyone and made the treatment free for poor people. He said because of the increase in the number of patients, the need for safe blood had also increased for which the MHOSWF was trying its level best to meet that need.
He said furthering the vision of Professor Nadeem Qamar of the NICVD, the MHOSWF had devised its own plan under which the community share of Rs 600, which is being charged from the patients, would also be scrapped. He said they will soon send this plan to the Sindh government and the philanthropist community for their formal nod.
Executive Medical Director Professor Dr Mohammad Usman said the blood and its products being used in the blood banks of the MHOSWF was being screened by the world standardized machines and kits duly supervised by the foundation's quality control department.
He said the charity's headquarters was being constructed near Britto Road near Numaish Chowrangi, which would soon be opened. He said a blood bank, thalassemia centre, a laboratory and an institute of haematology and transfusion medicine would also be housed in the new building.
He said with the affiliation of educational boards and universities, this institute would offer diploma and certificate courses to the students of intermediate and graduation classes. Courses for the journalists who report health sector will also be offered.