As blood donation curve falls, life stops for many.

ISLAMABAD: The international community is today celebrating the World Blood Donor Day 2020 at a time when the new coronavirus disease COVID-19 has thrown the entire world a curve ball with its gory tentacles - anchored deep down in the earth - feeding on more and more victims and bleeding the state coffers. Never before in the last 100 years has the world had to deal with a disaster/calamity of such magnitude.

Scientists, geneticists, and microbiologists the world over are burning the midnight oil and racing against time in their efforts to find a cure to neutralize the pandemic for good. This smart RNA virus however has outsmarted and outwitted the scientists so far.

In addition to affecting and killing people and overburdening even the strongest economies, the novel coronavirus has seriously dented the global health system, with blood shortage threatening to kill more people, especially those suffering from leukemia, Thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell anemia or those undergoing critical surgeries.

Blood shortage has put the state health authorities on tenterhooks and governments across the world are urging their people - through coordinated campaigns in the print, electronic, and social media - to rise to the challenge and line up for blood donation.

In Pakistan too blood banks and centers are facing a serious shortage of blood, as donations have troughed significantly due to the low turnout of voluntary non-remunerated blood donors. Majority of donors fear that they might contract the virus if they ventured out of the safety of their home, or that they might catch it during the transfusion process. This situation has put the health professionals in a dilemma.

Like its competitors, the Regional Blood Donation Centre ([RBDC] of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has also been working overtime since the outbreak of the pandemic to cater to the needs of Thalassemia, Hemophilia, cancer, and dialysis patients.

Educational institutions and industrial units were the major source of blood collection for the Centre, and their closure since the outbreak of pandemic has impacted on blood donations. This situation has toughened the Center's task to search for the potential donors.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, renowned humanitarian, philanthropist and showbiz celebrity Mr. Abrar Ul Haq soon after assuming the charge as Chairman PRCS in December last year made a fervent appeal to the nation - through the social, print, and electronic...