The World Health Organization (WHO) has set 2020 as the deadline for all countries to achieve 100 percent blood supply from voluntary unpaid donors. Currently in Bhutan, 60 percent of the blood units are collected from voluntary donors and 40 percent from family and replacement donors.
To promote more of voluntary blood donation, the World Blood Donor day this year was marked on the theme “give the gift of life- donate blood”.
Hundreds of blood donors gathered at the clock tower square in Thimphu to donate blood as Bhutan marked the World Blood Donor Day.
The crowd included female and male donors of all age, some donating for the first time, others donating for more than 20 years now.
Regular donors said the satisfaction they get after donating blood is what encourages them.
The Representative of the WHO Dr. Nani Nair said donating blood not only save lives and also build good reserve. She talked about the WHO’s goal of achieving100% blood reserve from unpaid voluntary donors in all countries.
Dr. Mahrukh Getshen, the Blood Bank in-charge with the National Referral Hospital says Bhutan is working on achieving the target.
Today, on an average, the National Referral Hospital, which sees the maximum number of blood transfusion cases, requires about 25 units of blood every day and sometimes up to 30 units. The annual requirement of blood in the country is estimated to be 10,000 units of blood.
A single person can donate blood once every three months and each donation can save some three lives.
At the event held to mark the day, Institutes, organizations and individuals were recognized for their contribution in building the blood reserve.
