Number of blood donors on rise

Although the country has seen a rise in voluntary and direct donation of blood in recent years, it still lags well behind demand.

According to Safe Blood Transfusion Programme of the Directorate General of Health Services, annual demand for blood in Bangladesh is around eight lakh units. Last year, about seven lakh units were collected.

The shortage is filled by professional donors who mostly contribute to unsafe blood transfusions, said officials.

They, however, claimed the rate of unsafe transfusion of blood came down sharply over the years.

The rate of voluntary blood donation is yet to increase in line with expectation although the government set a target to ensure 100 percent blood collection through voluntary donation by 2022, officials added.

Every year on June 14, World Blood Donor Day is observed across the world to raise awareness about safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their life-saving gifts.

Donating blood is a selfless act and blood transfusions save thousands of lives every year.

Take, for example, the case of Fariha Tasnia.

At the age of three, she was diagnosed with thalassaemia, a genetic blood disorder. Since then, she has been surviving on blood transfusion.

Initially, Fariha's relatives used to donate blood, but now she depends on blood from donors. She needs some 36 bags of blood a year. Her mother often finds it difficult to manage blood.

“For common people, it is just a bag of blood. But for those with genetic disorders, a bag of blood means life,” said Fariha's mother Magfura Noor.

“If you have money, you can buy whatever you want, but you can't purchase or produce blood. That is why donors are just like the blessings of the Almighty.”

Like Fariha, now 17, around one lakh thalassaemia patients in the country need blood regularly, according to Bangladesh Thalassaemia Samity.

Sheikh Daud Adnan, deputy programme manager of Safe Blood Transfusion Programme (SBTP), said: “Some private or illegal blood banks in the capital might be involved in collecting blood from professional donors in exchange for money. People from rural areas and emergency patients often become their victims. But the situation has changed now.”

There is very little awareness among people about voluntary blood donation, he said.

“The government has launched an awareness programme and the situation will improve…. Around 30 percent blood now comes from voluntary donation and the rest from direct donation.”

The SBTP official said blood is required mostly for accident victims. “There is a shortage of blood supply. Some deaths were reported due to lack of supply.”

According to World Health Organisation, 112.5 million units of blood are collected globally each year. About half of them are collected in high-income countries.

Some 74 countries collect over 90 percent blood from “voluntary unpaid blood donors”. However, 71 countries collect more than half of their blood from family/replacement or paid donors, said WHO.

Radib Al Amin, a student of Jahangirnagar University, went to a city hospital on Monday to donate a bag of blood on his birthday.

“I've so far donated blood seven times. I went to the hospital to donate blood after fasting. It was a birthday gift from me to the distressed people,” he told The Daily Star.

Dr Tarique Mehedi, acting director of the blood programme of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BRCS), said the demand-supply gap seemed to have reduced sharply over the years and the collection of blood was increasing day by day. However, the problem is that many patients don't get blood in time.

The BRCS collects blood at eight centres across the country. It collected some 62,000 units last year, 61,000 in 2015 and 55,000 in 2014.