'Drop in blood donations could lead to tragedy'

Dr Saqib Ansari urges people to continue donating blood, even from their homes

KARACHI: The decline in blood donations amid the ongoing pandemic could develop into a human tragedy if it continues to progress this way, claimed haematologist Dr Saqib Ansari on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference at the Umair Sana Foundation, he said that there had been a drop in blood donations since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

“Donated blood is needed for those undergoing surgery and for thalassaemia patients, who need at least one bottle of blood a month to survive,” he explained. “However, in the current situation, blood donations are steadily declining. To cope with this, we need to take emergency measures and donate large quantities of blood.”

Dr Ansari stated that if the situation persisted, large-scale losses of life could occur, adding that Pakistan needed 200,000 bottles of blood each month, half of which were required in Sindh alone.

He further said that the unrelenting panic about coronavirus had worsened matters, urging citizens to donate blood at their nearest blood bank or to call the Umair Sana Foundation, whose workers would come to their homes to take blood donations.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2020.