OUTLOOK — By Maryam Khalfan — The phase for a wind up from the routine and yet mandatory activities of the year is in progress for nearly all schools and colleges around the country. The season is also ripe for many employees to take a break from their year’s long tasks. The season is also a perfect time for families to unite for prolonged holidays. Whether they decide to stay within the country or travel abroad to cooler environments, the choice is theirs. Unfortunately, it is during this phase of the year, that a drop in the amount of blood donation is witnessed in nearly all governorates of the Sultanate. But, considering the fact that blood donation is a continuous process, which is significantly mandatory. According to healthcare providers, the need for having sufficient blood in storage to cater to the necessities of the never ending healthcare services in treatment of many illnesses and to cater to the unforeseen emergencies mandates the continuous efforts of donors to support the services of the healthcare providers. Likewise, with the advancements in healthcare services, the need for blood is an ever increasing trend in treatment of different categories of patients on regular and desperate need of blood in the community. Such persons, for instance include suffers of blood disorders such as Thalassemia, sickle cell anemia and G6PD and other forms of anemia. Additionally, patients suffering of malignant blood disorders, born marrow impairment and several types of cancer also need regular blood transfusion. Also, with the never ending incidents of people who are injured in traffic accidents, a lot of blood is needed to cater to emergencies of the sort and for surgical procedures during delivery and other surgical complications. In this context, the regular donors of this precious gift are highly commendable for the role they play for saving the lives of their blood recipients. But, since, in storage, blood and its other components tend to drop the summer season, should the recipients of the respective blood components feel the pinch of the drop? I’m certain that any generous blood donor would not opt for the same. Also, for the other section of the community who have not yet thought to respond to the need of adopting to the habit of donating this unique liquid, when will they voluntarily get inspired to donate? Are they waiting until when they will be in desperate need of blood for them to feel the pain before they respond to the call?
According to the standard protocol of the Department of Blood Services (DBS) in the Sultanate, after separation of the blood, the components of this vital and living matter can only be stored for a short period of time. For instance, the components of the red blood can be stored for a period of 35-42 days and the platelets component are stored for a maximum period of five days, a clear indication why regularly donate.
In this concept, it is not appropriate to rely on collecting huge stocks of blood that cannot be stocked for prolonged use in future. The Sultanate does not encourage the concept of importing blood purposely for safety reasons of avoiding spread of infectious blood transmitted diseases from imported blood.
But, since blood donation does not have harmful effects on the donor instead it help in rejuvenation of the blood. So are you ready to share a pinch of your blood with the unknown compatible recipients from whom a word of appreciation is hardly heard and yet you boost their lives?
