Voluntary Blood Donation for Blood Transfusion Safety.
Voluntary blood donation is crucial in ensuring blood safety. It will prevent HIV, Hepatitis B transmitted through blood transfusion. A meeting was organized in Calcutta India to review and discuss the status of voluntary blood donation in the country. There were about 300 participants. Dr Salunke participated in the meeting on behalf of WHO India.
Voluntary blood donation program in India is being spearheaded as a movement by NGOs. The state of West Bengal has succeeded in making blood donation a voluntary effort. Other states have made varying progress. By an order from the Supreme Court of India professional blood donors are not permitted to donate blood by law. The approach of replacement transfusion is also unacceptable since this may be a possible back door entry for professional donors. The collaboration between the government and NGOs should be strengthened. Blood banks need greater support and facilities. Public advocacy for voluntary blood should be enhanced. Large blood donation camps should be discouraged because of possibilities of compromise in quality of services. Counseling of the donors should be strengthened. WHO may consider producing short case studies of blood donors who have voluntarily donated blood more than 100 times in their life to be used as advocacy material.
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