News
Monday, June 13, 2011
Germany to provide 15 million euros for 13 centralised blood banks
Staff Report
KARACHI: Thirteen centralised blood banks will be established in Karachi, interior Sindh and other parts of the country with German financial assistance in order to meet country’s blood supply needs.
Head of the National Blood Transfusion Services Pakistan Dr Hassan Abbas Zaheer stated this, while addressing participants of a media workshop on ‘Safe Blood’ held at the Husaini Blood Bank head office here on Sunday. Zaheer said the government of Germany would support this project with cost of 15 million euros.
The workshop was organised by the Husaini Blood Bank in collaboration with the Association of Health Journalists Pakistan (AHJP), National Blood Transfusion Services Pakistan, World Health Organisation and Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA).
Zaheer further informed that apart from the establishing of new blood banks, existing 78 blood banks would also be refurbished and upgraded in the various cities of the country.
Speaking at the workshop, health experts including haematologist Dr Sarfaraz Jafri and Dr Saeed said that almost in 90 percent of cases patients were transfused whole blood despite giving component therapy, which could lead to further complications.
However, transfusing whole blood was not advised worldwide these days, they added. The chief guest of the workshop Provincial Special Health Secretary Dr Suresh Kumar said that in several government hospitals patients were being administered whole blood when needed.
“But now, we will also try to work on provision of blood component therapy which will be helpful for the patients and hospitals as well,” he added.
He lauded the efforts of the AHJP for organising capacity building workshops for health journalists and assured cooperation on behalf of the Sindh Health Department. Additional Secretary Health Dr Khaild Shaikh, Secretary SBTA Dr Zahid Ansari and General Secretary Karachi Union of Journalists Hassan Abbas also spoke on the occasion.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk