Blood, sweat and tears | The Express Tribune

PUBLISHED
March 09, 2025

LAHORE/KARACHI/PESHAWAR:

They are saying while and dying is within the fingers of God. However now and again the elegant story of destiny all at once lands within the fingers of distraught folk individuals, who slightly have mins to search out, fit and industry a couple of baggage of blood in go back for the irreplaceable lives in their family members.

In a heart-wrenching scene out of doors a central authority sanatorium in Peshawar, Rakhshinda Bibi, an aged girl, was once discoverable pleading passersby for blood donations for her 10-year-old son affected by thalassemia. Highlighting the gravity of her status, Rakhshinda tearfully shared that she was once left and not using a alternative choice. “After facing repeated rejections and delays at both private and public hospitals, I have no choice but to beg random strangers to help save my son’s life,” she cried.

Rakshinda’s ache is deeply felt via tens of millions of households around the nation, who within the being lacking enough blood banks and state-initiated blood drives, have to position their blood, sweat and tears into urgently arranging blood for his or her family members. One such mom was once Shumaila from Lahore who was once suffering to search out O detrimental blood, the rarest type, for her ill son. “When I brought my son to the emergency, I faced a lot of difficulties since the blood bank of the hospital was vacant,” shared Shumaila.

I’m sick south in Karachi, Gulfam, brother of a affected person, confronted a related catch 22 situation, when he was once not able to search out blood for his brother’s transfusion on the Untouched Karachi Medical institution. “My brother’s haemoglobin was very low and the doctors asked me to arrange three bottles of blood. Since there was no blood bank in the hospital, I went to a private blood bank to buy blood,” noticeable Gulfam, who complained in regards to the deficit of blood at executive hospitals.

The donation catastrophe

As according to assets from the Fitness Area, nearly 2.5 to three.0 million blood donations are required around the nation each and every 12 months to satisfy the necessities of sufferers affected by blood loss following surgical treatment, childbirth, injuries or the ones with thalassemia.

There are 191 blood banks registered in non-public and executive hospitals throughout Sindh, together with Karachi, of which 80 according to cent are non-public blood banks. In keeping with the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority, 523,713 voluntary blood donations are made in Karachi yearly. Thus, just one according to cent of Karachi’s public donates blood readily and nearly all of those donations are made via the affected person’s folk. Consequently, there’s a terrible deficit of blood, in particular the O certain and detrimental teams in Karachi.

The status is conspicuously extra alarming in Punjab, the place the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority has been inoperational within the being lacking a head. In Punjab, blood donations come to blood banks established in executive and personal hospitals, that are readily given to the destitute. Concurrently, there are unlawful blood banks established out of doors hospitals, which promote blood with the connivance of sanatorium body of workers.

Punjab is the biggest province in the case of public, and it calls for 700,000 to 800,000 blood baggage yearly. At the present, there are 56 registered blood banks on the environment degree in Punjab, date 60 blood banks are operating on the non-public degree. On the other hand, in spite of those blood banks, the call for for blood is met with splendid issue and plenty of a occasions population even lose their lives.

Sundus Understructure has a personal blood attic, which calls for 400 baggage of blood each life on the other hand, handiest ten p.c of this want is met via blood banks and the difference 90 according to cent of population requiring blood urgently must rush assistance from kinfolk, buddies and alternative assets.

Up north in Okay-P, the Blood Transfusion Authority (BTA) Okay-P noticeable {that a} general collection of 485 blood banks had been gathering roughly 250,000 donations each and every 12 months. The Regional Blood Centre (RBC) in Peshawar serves a public of about 4.26 million and offers simply 180,000 devices of blood to native hospitals and thalassemia facilities.

Restricted consciousness performs a significant position within the decrease in donor pastime. Alternative proscribing components come with a terrible shortage of motivation, popularity and esteem for voluntary donors. As well as, the superiority of diabetes, hepatitis and HIV in Pakistan may be very prime, because of which sufferers of those illnesses aren’t eligible to donate blood. Alternative ineligibility components come with socio-demographic components reminiscent of training, gender, month, marital situation and home segment, which additionally turn into boundaries to voluntary blood donation.

What additional worsens the deficit of blood is the truth the even these days complete blood is donated in diverse hospitals, because of which the alternative 3 parts within the blood are wasted. Dr Usman Waheed, technical knowledgeable on the Nationwide Fitness Regulatory Products and services noticeable that complete blood has been opposed for sufferers around the globe, date in Pakistan, complete blood remains to be administered.

“A bottle of blood contains four components, including plasma, red cells, white cells and platelets. All over the world, patients are given only those components which they require while the other components are preserved to save the lives of other patients,” noticeable Dr Waheed.

Deny nationwide blood drives

In keeping with the American Purple Move, one blood donation can save as much as 3 lives. On the other hand, analysis displays that donating a bag of blood now not handiest advantages the recipient but additionally definitely affects the psychological fitness of the donor. Findings revealed via the Psychological Fitness Understructure have noticeable that population who donate blood revel in decreased psychological tension, progressed emotional well-being, and an enhanced sense of belonging.

Sadly, in spite of the various benefits of blood donation, population around the nation have modest or negative consciousness over its virtue because of the failure of the federal government to organise a countrywide blood pressure and inspire and empower population to play games their phase in preserve lives.

“The tendency of voluntary blood donation is very low among people in Pakistan. Therefore, in case of blood shortage, we have to organise blood camps in universities, colleges and other institutions for collecting blood donations,” stated Dr Mazhar Khamisani, supervisor of the blood attic on the Civil Medical institution Karachi.

Resources of the Categorical Tribune have noticeable {that a} voluntary blood donation marketing campaign has now not been introduced on the executive degree in Karachi until while. Therefore, voluntary blood donation campaigns are organised via diverse non-public blood banks running throughout schools and universities. In those camps, younger scholars are inspired to donate blood readily.

Matching is the case within the coronary heart of Punjab, Lahore, the place negative executive company is prepared to store blood for sufferers. Even supposing the Blood Transfusion Authority and the Blood Transfusion Institute had been shaped within the time, neither might be sustained and are now not lively.

“These bodies were formed for collecting, preserving and storing blood in government hospitals but due to the lack of planning, they were discontinued. Now, there are blood banks in the hospitals, but they have measly facilities to store blood hence very little blood is available in case of emergencies. If these institutions are made active, it can be a great convenience for the people who are currently relying on private institutions,” stated Saeed Ilahi, fitness minister all over the PML-N month.

Up north in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Shahid Khan, an worker at a central authority sanatorium, defined that even though blood banks had been established in folk hospitals, there was once an alarming discrepancy within the allocation of blood. “When relatives of patient’s demand blood, the hospital staff asks for blood bags, but during the surgery, the same blood is often not used and instead ends up being sold in the black market,” noticeable Khan.

Ladies and boundaries to donation

Regardless of unending debates highlighting gender extra, the forged evidence of the shared humanity of women and men is perceptible in the truth that the similar blood flows throughout the veins of each. On the other hand, in the case of donating blood, ladies are typically discouraged from taking part in their phase in serving humanity because of diverse social and fitness boundaries.

Shumaila, a scholar at Jinnah College, expressed her willingness to donate blood. On the other hand, she conceived that myths and a shortage of to be had data on blood donation acted as primary boundaries. “Young women are often made to believe that donating blood might lead to complications during their future pregnancies and deliveries. Furthermore, there are no awareness campaigns at the government level to promote blood donation. Therefore, women do not know where to donate blood,” stated Shumaila.

In a similar fashion, Amna, a homemaker, felt that the weight of family tasks together with childcare and day-to-day chores ceaselessly left ladies too exhausted to even imagine blood donation. “Furthermore, family members, particularly husbands, discourage us from donating blood since they fear that it may cause weakness. Therefore, voluntary blood donation is extremely rare among women in our society,” opined Amna.

In keeping with assets of the Categorical Tribune, the total fee of blood donation in Pakistan stands at 18 according to cent, to which ladies, who include 55 according to cent of the rustic’s public, hardly ever give a contribution. Those figures are alarming when in comparison to 70 nations around the globe together with the USA and Canada, the place the tendency of donating blood readily is 100 according to cent.

Even supposing myths round donation may just in part suppress wholesome ladies from preserve lives, the truth is that the prime prevalence of anaemia amongst ladies throughout city and rural boxes signifies that an important share of the feminine reproductive elderly public is much more likely to be the recipient instead than the donor of blood.

As according to the tips issued via the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority, ladies can donate blood on the other hand, those that are pregnant, breastfeeding, getting better from miscarriage or childbirth or affected by fat menstrual bleeding or cramping are urged towards donation. Because of the aforementioned reproductive statuses, many ladies manufacture low haemoglobin ranges and are not able to donate since their ranges fall beneath 12.5 g/dl.

In keeping with the Nationwide Vitamin Survey of Pakistan 2018, 40.2 according to cent of ladies in city boxes and 44.3 p.c ladies in rural boxes be afflicted by iron-deficiency anaemia sometimes called low haemoglobin. Deputy Director of Fitness Products and services Karachi, Dr Pir Ghulam Nabi Jillani noticeable that malnutrition amongst ladies was once a important issue contributing to anaemia.

“This is particularly the case in rural areas, where women face a plethora of health problems due to food shortages. Furthermore, many rural women suffer from parasitic infections, which also contribute to anaemia. Additionally, the consumption of harmful substances such as betel nut, chewing tobacco and clay too contribute to blood deficiency,” emphasized Dr Jillani.

Promoting or preserve lives?

Blood donations are ceaselessly discoverable as noble acts of esteem aimed toward serving humanity. On the other hand, when cruel profiteers get started capitalising even on population’s distress, it’s crisp to inform whether or not they’re in fact preserve lives or just promoting them.

Tariq Iqbal, husband of a pregnant girl, needed to do business in with a related blood attic mafia when he was once not able to search out blood for his anaemic spouse requiring a transfusion. “The doctors asked me to arrange two bottles of blood. However, the private hospital’s blood bank demanded Rs8,000 to Rs10,000. There is no uniform policy for taking blood in exchange for a donor, due to which the patient’s family has to face countless difficulties,” regretted Iqbal.

Shahid, the brother of every other affected person requiring a transfusion, noticeable that population short of blood baggage from non-public blood banks had been required to first provide a donor. “The blood bank demands Rs8,000 to Rs20,000 for a bag of blood and other components including platelets,” stated Shahid.

The status was once now not a lot other in Punjab, the place executive hospitals recurrently ask the kinfolk of sufferers to organize blood of every other team in trade for the specified blood team. In alternative circumstances, the kinfolk themselves are anticipated to put together a right away donation. Blood is saved at blood banks in executive and personal hospitals and households can purchase the specified blood bag for Rs10,000 to Rs15,000 but when A, B and O detrimental blood is needed, upcoming the banks price their desired value. Sadly, there is not any take a look at and steadiness and if any person complains, the police rush minor motion however negative crackdown is organised via the fitness branch frequently.

Dr Murad Ali, a clinical practitioner from Peshawar, identified the truth that non-public blood facilities had changed into a extremely successful industry. “Apart from a few reputable private blood centers, many are operating illegally. They set up blood donation camps on the streets, only to take the donations and sell them at inflated rates,” he stated.

Zakir Khan, a clinical storeowner from Peshawar, additionally highlighted the rampant exploitation within the town’s clinical sector. “Sadly, many medical stores are involved in the black market, selling blood bags to patients at exorbitant prices, ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs20,000. If the blood is O-negative, then these dealers make even more money,” disclosed Khan.

“We have imposed bans on several private blood centers for unethical practices. Our authority is committed to taking strict action against those involved in this illegal blood trade, which can lead to the spread of diseases,” stated a senior respectable from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blood Transfusion Authority, at the situation of anonymity.

In keeping with the directions of the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority, any donor who donates blood will have to first go through a screening for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, syphilis, and malaria earlier than their blood will also be given to the affected person.

Talking to the Categorical Tribune at the subject, Dr Waheed noticeable that the rustic’s guard blood transfusion coverage was once formulated again in 2014. “This policy is now being reviewed, and amendments are being drafted. Uniform kits are also being devised for blood screening under the new policy,” stated Dr Waheed.