Editorial

Mismanagement, suffering and exploitations continues even when blood donors are available in plenty

August was a month of plenty in Bangalore - at least as far as blood is concerned. Unfortunately, still several blood donation camps are not carefully planned keeping in mind the demand of blood. When the colleges reopen after the summer vacation, there are several institutions who express desire to conduct camps. Most blood banks just choose to take up the opportunity to collect rather than engage with the organizers and attempt to better schedule the dates.

The 13 years of Sankalp India Foundation

"For when the One Great Scorer Comes to mark against your name, He writes–not that you won or lost, But how you played the Game"

This is part of a famous poem that reminds one to work towards a goal with fairness in approach and honesty in the mind and actions. This is a constant journey. Beyond this victory or defeat is only a temporary station. Those words sum up the 13 years of Sankalp India Foundation. As a team we have tasted several victories and losses, but held nerve to not give up on the honest and fair way of doing things .

“SAVE BLOOD, SAVE LIVES” - Role of Rationalizing Blood Use in achieving 100% Voluntary Blood Donation

India is striving to achieve the target of 100% voluntary blood donation by 2020. National Blood Transfusion Council, National AIDS Control Organisation, Federation of Indian Blood Donation Organisations and all other stakeholders agree to the goal. The primary focus appears to increase voluntary blood donation to meet the ever growing demand for blood in the country. Is increasing supply to meet the demand the only way?

Time for Collaboration and Cooperation

It’s just about a year since we decided to take a big step forward to work towards setting up of our bone marrow transplantation unit. In the month of February we completed the 15th transplant at our center. Larger number of patients are seeking care and management within our network of centers and the queue of patients waiting for transplantation is steadily increasing. Thalassemia poses an enormous challenge to the society and defeating it will require an equally large response. It’s time to build upon our initial success and experience.

Follow-up on adverse events for donors

The care giving to donors does not end with the donation process. Since 2009 volunteers of Sankalp record details of adverse events in blood donation drives. A standard form which records donor contact details, complication details is filled and maintained digitally. The intention has always been to understand the reasons for such events and work on the gaps in delivering a safer blood donation drive. As a symbol of our concern, we follow up the very next day with such donors to understand if they are indeed in good health.

It’s 10/10 for our Bone Marrow Transplantions

21st January was a landmark day. It was the day when we discharged the 10th children from Sankalp-People Tree Center for Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation. The center which was inaugurated on 27th August 2015 has cured the first 10 children from thalassemia. All the children are doing well. We undertook the responsibility of offering a reliable, rational and affordable cure from thalassemia and we are happy to share that with 100% success in the first 10 transplants we have made firm progress.

Little Fahim's happy little story

Although born and raised in Chennapatna, the town of toys, Syed Fahim’s childhood was not a joyous one. His life was different form the other little kids he met in school. Every month, he had to travel to Bangalore – 60 kilometers away from home – for a pint of blood, the only thing his body couldn’t produce. During the rest of his time, he had to juggle between studies and failing health. Fahim was born in 2011. His mother Samren recalls how seven months after Fahim’s birth, he suffered heavily from cough, cold, and fever. Their local doctor referred him to St. John’s hospital in Bangalore.

Thalassemia - The Road Ahead

While the clamour to declare thalassemia as a disability grows around the country, year 2015 has brought realisation and reaffirmation to the long held perspective that we have at Sankalp India Foundation for thalassemia. As part of the counselling and motivational exercise, also as part of the speeches and the writings in the books, often the thalassemia families are told that their child should be treated like a normal child. Is this really true? Is it a fact that the child suffering from thalassemia could actually have a near normal life?

Let there be Cure

Offering HLA typing far and wide We started on a journey traveling the length and breadth of the country in the month of October to reach out to families suffering from thalassemia who have never explored the option of cure. The prohibitive cost of HLA typing makes it out of reach for most families and thus the option of cure is also far from being explored. Sankalp India Foundation is committed to enabling cure for children suffering from thalassemia.

Sundays @ Samraksha

Sundays have had a different meaning altogether for Project Samraksha, the Thalassemia Day Care Centre at Rashtroothhana Parishat. While the rest of the world enjoys their day off from work, the staff of the blood bank and the day care center put their best foot forward to work on their busiest day of the week. With the intention of causing minimal disruption to education and work for the families of children suffering from thalassemia. Samraksha continues work on the weekend. Individuals who need to come to the centre more often than the others are scheduled to come on Sundays.
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