KARACHI - To meet the countrys blood needs, 13 centralised blood banks will be established in Karachi, interior of Sindh and other parts of the country. Government of Germany will support this project with the cost of 15 million euro. This was stated by the Head of the National Blood Transfusion Services Pakistan Dr. Hassan Abbas Zaheer, while addressing to the participants of a media workshop on Safe Blood, held at the Husaini Blood Bank head office. The workshop was organised by Husaini Blood Bank in collaboration with the Association of Health Journalists Pakistan (AHJP), National Blood Transfusion Services Pakistan, World Health Organisation and Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA). He further told that apart from the establishing of news blood banks, existing 78 blood banks will also be repaired and upgraded in the various cities of the country. Speaking in the workshop health experts including haematologist Dr Sarfaraz Jafri and Dr Saeed said that almost in 90 per cent of cases patients are transfused whole blood despite giving component therapy which could lead to further complications. Now transfusing whole blood is not advised worldwide, they added. The chief guest of the workshop Special Secretary Health Dr. Suresh Kumar told that in most of government hospitals as well patients are being administered whole blood when needed. But now, we will also try to work on provision of blood component therapy which will be helpful for the patients and hospitals as well, he added. He lauded the efforts of the AHJP for organizing capacity building workshops for health journalists assured cooperation on behalf of the Sindh Health Department. Additional Secretary Health Dr Khaild Shaikh, Secretary SBTA Dr Zahid Ansari and General Secretary Karachi Union of Journalists Hassan Abbas also spoke on the occasion.