Voluntary blood donations back to pre-COVID levels: National Blood Transfusion Council

The virtual event saw an expert panel of Thalassemia specialists hold a dialogue on problems faced by Thalassemia patients and blood centers during COVID-19, inclusion of Thalassemia in the Disabilities Act, 2016, and blood donation awareness in India.

ALSO READ | Donating blood during a pandemic? Here’s how to do it safely

Commenting on the efforts made by authorities to encourage blood donations during the lockdown, he emphasised the need to change mindsets through awareness about voluntary donation of blood. “As per NACO, currently, 70 per cent of blood donations are voluntary. Some states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are particularly very active in voluntary blood donations. At the same time, some states are lagging and there is a huge gap. We are trying to analyse why this gap exists in the same country and have realised that it has to do with the prevailing culture of the state and the mindset of the population. There is a need to change mindsets,” he said.

Expert panel on how safety measures have improved blood donations in the last few months compared to the start of the pandemic. (Photo: Pixabay)

Amid the pandemic, there were reports suggesting a shortage of blood in hospitals and for critical surgeries. Dr Amita Mahajan, senior consultant, pediatric hematology and oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi elaborated on overcoming hindrances faced by hospitals and blood centres during COVID lockdown. “The pandemic has been both a challenge and a unique opportunity to look for productive pathways. During the pandemic, patients were scared to come to the hospital and donors were also scared of contracting COVID from hospitals. It was also not possible to hold blood donation camps as maintaining social distance would become difficult. To resolve these, at the hospital, we made separate entries and exits for voluntary donors. We issued special movement passes to donors and reached out to previous donors and assured them of safety during donation,” she described.

Anil Rajput, Chairman, ASSOCHAM CSR Council further urged people to voluntarily donate blood as it helps patients with blood disorders, including thalassemics. “In our country, two million people suffer from thalassemia and many other disabilities. Blood donation and transfusion are crucial to the essential services especially for these patients,” he mentioned.

For more lifestyle news, follow us: Twitter: lifestyle_ie | Facebook: IE Lifestyle | Instagram: ie_lifestyle