Coronavirus Outbreak and Blood Donations

The Corona virus outbreak has impacted the world badly and has resulted in a huge number of deaths. Due to its nature of total shut down and stay at home precautions many of the vital challenges have risen due to lack of mobility and activity. One such challenge is the depletion of blood in local blood banks of Pakistan.

Intro about blood donations scenario in Pakistan

Blood donations culture in Pakistan is slowly emerging in metropolitan cities but is quite alien in backward areas of Pakistan. People have a mix set of views regarding blood donation and are usually reluctant to donate blood. Some fear the impact it has is adverse on one’s body, some think it’s against their beliefs systems, some fear the needle or about blood draw protocols and some have a misconception that if one donates blood the person himself/herself might get infected with any disease.

In Pakistan and in other developing countries where there is a lack of infrastructure for voluntary blood donation and improper blood transfusion facilities, millions of people die just because of the unavailability of blood at hospitals. The irony is that excess blood in individuals is available in the same geographical location but the only problem is people are not willing to share.

The solution for saving precious innocent lives is quite simple and is as follows. Firstly to win trust of the people there must be an established proper systems and protocols accredited by international standards for blood donation practices. In Pakistan organization such as Indus Hospital Blood Center is running such a system where blood donor care is not compromised and proper protocols are followed.

Secondly to mobilize people about how their one donated blood could save 3 lives. In times of COVID19 outbreak more lives are at risk than ever before the challenges to save previously hospitalized patients are immense as people are in Quarantine and blood camps have been canceled across the city. But to save someone’s life one must make a calculated step to reach out to the nearest blood bank or a blood camp and donate blood ensuring proper COVID19 precautions are followed, so that innocent children suffering from cancer, thalassemia and other terminally ill patients are saved through the voluntary gesture of an unknown in these tough times.

‘’If you have saved one life, it is as if you have saved the whole of Humanity” Quran 5:32

-The writer is Marketing Executive at The Indus Hospital Blood Center and can be reached at junaid.faizi@tih.org.pk