Blood Donation Camp by Regional Blood Centre, Bahawalpur -

BAHAWALPUR: Regarding Thalassemia, the carrier frequency is 5.4% and there are approximately 13.2 million carriers in Pakistan. About 6,000 affected children are born per year with a frequency of 17 children per day. There are 60,000 registered patients in Pakistan. High number of carriers and increased incidence of consanguineous marriages (60 % first cousin, 15% second cousin, 15% inter biradari) are the main reason for the high birth rate of Thalassaemia Major children. Collecting, preservation and appropriate dissemination of blood for these thalassemia patients has always been critical.

Considering the difficulty in availability of blood for patients with blood disorders, the Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi launched the ‘Regional Blood Center’ at Bahawalpur in 2017 which is being funded by the Government of Punjab. Blood is collected from voluntary blood donation. Blood products are supplied only to the government hospitals of Bahawalpur- initially Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Jubilee Female Hospital, and later on to extend to the entire length and breadth of Bahawalpur Division. The blood and its products are supplied maintaining the highest international standards for screening of Hepatitis B, C, HIV/Aids etc., maintenance of cold chain and absolutely free of charge to all the patients admitted in government hospitals without any discrimination. The Regional Blood Center, Bahawalpur provides blood without any cost to save the thalassemia patient’s (children) life from December-2017 to till.

A BLOOD DONATION CAMP was lately organized at Police Lines, Bahawalpur for collecting blood for the children suffering from thalassemia in which DPO Muhammad Faisal Kamran and other police officers and citizens participated with zeal and zest.