Hospital blood banks run dry

KABUL): Residents of the capital Kabul and some provinces have complained about the non-availability of donated blood in hospitals to save lives.

Hafizullah, a Qala-i-Zaman Khan resident, said he paid money to obtain blood for his ailing wife, who underwent a surgery to give birth to a child.

He added when he was referred to the blood bank, he was told he had to donate blood in return for blood. It was late in the night when Hafizullah called his friends to donate blood in order to save his wife.

He urged the Ministry of Public Health to ensure patients availed blood in time of need without donating blood by relatives.

Mirajan, a resident of Chahardara area in northern Kunduz province, said he purchased 1,000CC blood against $300 (1,5000afs) for his son who had an appendectomy.

He said he had to buy the blood for his son because the hospital lacked donated blood. He said patients in the hospital were provided with blood in return for blood by relatives. He wondered how poor families could afford buying blood for their patients.

However, Ahmad Massoud Rahmani, who heads the Public Health Ministry’s Blood Bank, said blood was given to some patients during emergency conditions without blood donation.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News blood donation culture should be promoted in Afghanistan to save precious lives.

mrh/ma

Visits: 2