Voluntary blood donors a must for safe transfusion: PMA

Association calls for sustainable blood supply, urges end to replacement system

IV Report

KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Sunday called for a shift from Pakistan’s reliance on replacement blood donors to a sustainable voluntary donation system, warning that gaps in safe blood supply continue to undermine healthcare delivery across the country.

Marking World Blood Donor Day (June 14), the association said voluntary, unpaid donors remained the backbone of safe transfusion services and were essential for ensuring a consistent and infection-free blood supply.

In a statement issued on the occasion, PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said thousands of patients, including women suffering severe postpartum haemorrhage, cancer patients, trauma victims and those undergoing major surgeries, depend on timely access to safe blood and blood products.

Referring to this year’s World Health Organization theme, “One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives”, the association stressed that voluntary, unpaid donors formed the backbone of safe transfusion services worldwide and deserved recognition for their contribution.

The PMA noted that Pakistan also faces a significant burden of inherited blood disorders such as thalassaemia major and haemophilia, with many patients requiring regular transfusions throughout their lives. Since blood cannot be manufactured artificially and has a limited shelf life, maintaining an adequate supply depends on a steady stream of donations, it said.

The association urged federal and provincial governments to strengthen investment in centralised and strictly regulated blood transfusion services, saying robust screening systems were essential to reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

Calling on young people to participate in blood donation campaigns, the PMA said a single donation could help multiple patients through separation of blood into different components. It appealed to healthy individuals aged 18 to 60 years to donate blood at certified transfusion centres and support life-saving healthcare services across the country.

Images courtesy: PMA 

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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