People urged to donate blood voluntarily

By Our Staff Reporter

KARACHI - With the onset of summer season and holy month of Ramazan, the trend of voluntary blood donation has declined across Sindh, especially in Karachi, and experts apprehend that such a situation might pose difficulty for thalassemia and other patients requiring blood in coming weeks.

Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority's (SBTA) secretary Dr Zahid Hussain Ansari said voluntary blood donation has declined by 60 per cent with the beginning of hot weather and holy month of Ramazan across the province.

He said that administration of SBTA has issued necessary instructions to the management of all blood banks to activate their volunteers for promoting voluntary blood donation across the province so as to avoid any kind of blood crisis in coming weeks. 

He urged the people, particularly youths, to voluntarily donate blood in the hot season as blood is the life for thalassaemia children and other patients.

He said that donating blood regularly generally reduces the risk of heart attacks and obesity. “There is no harm in donating blood after Iftar,” he opined. 

Dr Ansari also advised people to obtain blood only from registered blood banks so as to avoid contracting diseases.