LAHORE - Like other parts of the globe, World Blood Donors’ Day will be observed across the country tomorrow (Monday) for raising awareness among the masses regarding donation of blood.
This year’s campaign theme is "Thank you for saving my life". It focuses on thanking blood donors who save lives every day through their donations and strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan “Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.”
The campaign aims to highlight stories from people whose lives have been saved through blood donation, as a way of motivating regular blood donors to continue giving blood and people in good health who have never given blood to begin doing so. Seminars, walks and blood donation camps are regular feature to mark the day.
In Lahore, various organisations, public and private sector hospitals arranged symposium and blood donation camps on Saturday, a day before World Blood Donors’ Day. Similar events will be arranged on Sunday to mark the day.
Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Kh Salman Rafiq attended events arranged by different organisations in connection with the World Blood Donors’ Day.
Speaking at different events on Saturday, he stressed the need of screening of couples prior to marriage for eradicating thalassemia.
Addressing the participants of a ceremony arranged by Sundas Foundation at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Kh Salman said that safe blood transfusion was the basic right of patients. The Blood Transfusion Authority has started registration of blood banks, he added.
He further appreciated the humanitarian services of Sundas Foundation for blood collection and safe blood transfusion to the thalassemia patients. Chairman Sundas Foundation and renowned columnist Munnoo Bhai, President LCCI Ijaz A Mumtaz, Yasin Khan and a number of blood donors and thalassemia children attended the seminar.
Kh Salman said that donors were rendering a great service to the humanity by donating their blood for saving the precious lives of others. He said that Punjab Thalassemia Prevention Programme was working in 22 districts. The scope of this programme would be expanded to 36 districts in the next fiscal year, he added.
The adviser further informed that legislation would be carried out to enhance the punishment for the people involved in unscreened blood transfusion and operating substandard blood banks.
Later, Kh Salman attended the seminar organised by Young Doctors Association at Services Hospital, where he also donated blood. Parliamentary Secretary Kh Imran Nazir, Principal SIMS Prof Hamid Mahmood Butt, MS Dr Umer Farooq Baloch and office-bearers of YDA also attended the seminar.
Meanwhile, Salman also attended a function at Children Hospital. Hospital Dean Prof Massood Sadiq, Medical Director Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore, Representative of German NGO GIZ Paul Cohort, doctors and nurses of the hospital attended the seminar.
The speakers stressed the need of screened and safe blood transfusion. They were of the opinion that disease prevention and blood donation culture should be promoted in the society to protect the life of patients and to check the transmission of various diseases like thalassemia, hepatitis and AIDS.