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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
IRAQ: Campaign for blood donation launched
BAGHDAD, 12 April 2005 (IRIN) - A campaign to increase blood donations has been launched by the Iraqi National Centre for Blood Donation (INCBD) in the capital Baghdad, to help replenish supplies held for hospitals across the country. Medical staff say they have been struggling to cope with demand due to violence by insurgents.
The campaign kicked off in government ministries earlier this week. A mobile team from the INCBD has been visiting different areas in the capital and has so far received a good response, according to organisers.
"I'm really surprised at how many people have been offering blood in the government offices alone, and most of the time a long queue is being formed by men and women who want to help their Iraqi brothers," Dr Hamid al-Hilary, a senior supervisor of the mobile programme, told IRIN in Baghdad.
According to al-Hilary, the campaign will continue for a further two weeks due to the good results. He added that a huge quantity of blood storage at the centre had been lost due to the poor power services and because their generator was unreliable. However, he said that insurgent attacks in the country were the main reason for the dearth of supplies.
Dr Haydar Shamari, director of the INCBD, told IRIN that the willingness of people to donate blood was encouraging.
"No matter what their religion, ethnicity, beliefs or behaviour, the beautiful thing here is that everyone is helping to save innocent lives that have been targeted by the inhumane insurgency in our country.”
Shamari added that the centre was suffering from a big shortage of disposable blood bags, essential for keeping the donations fresh.
The blood bank usually needs to maintain a minimum of 10,000 blood bags countrywide, but with poor security and explosions, requirements have increased to 15,000, according to the centre. Even with the presence of donors, the shortage of blood bags has caused a delay in the donations.
Tubes for laboratory tests were also in short supply and the former state run Kimadia, responsible for the distribution of pharmaceuticals in the country, has no stocks left. The blood bank requires more than 30,000 disposable tubes per month.
"We are using the same test tubes to make different exams for the same patients and that isn't right, but we have no choice. We need an urgent supply of these materials to guarantee safe and fast work," Shamari urged.
One of the most important pieces of equipment needed for the separation of blood cells, used for leukemia patients who require particular types of blood, is in disrepair, Shamari said, and from May will have to be taken out of use. The machine costs nearly US $150,000 and is also a vital lifeline for thousands of cancer patients in the country.
The centre has 10 mobile bed units donated by NGOs, but a further 40 are needed, doctors say.
During Saddam Hussein's regime the blood requirements were related to diseases and never to poor security issues, according to medical staff, who explained that even under international sanctions supplies were much better than today.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in Iraq told IRIN that it has assisted the centre by providing equipment, material used for blood tests and support for children who require more delicate therapy in the transfusion process.
Back at the campaign, Iraqis of different religions and ethnicity can be seen sitting next to each other, hoping that their donations will help to save lives.
"It's unbelievable how in 10 minutes, by sitting in a chair and filling a plastic bag with blood, you can save lives. Instead of wasting that 10 minutes, you could be saving an Iraqi life like I'm doing now," Jamal Obaidi, who was donating blood, told IRIN.
Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict, (IRIN) Health & Nutrition, (IRIN) Human Rights
[ENDS]
This material comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2005
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