Blood collection increases in Nepal

The collection of blood in Nepal has gone up by 20 percent till July this year, compared to the corresponding figures last year, The Himalayan Times reported on Saturday.

Around 102,530-units of blood have been collected, while last year only 82,677-units of blood were collected, the report said.

"Compared to previous years, the collection of blood is satisfactory but we have to go a long way to achieve the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation to have enough blood in stock," director of the Nepal Red Cross Society Central Blood Transfusion Service Manita Raj Karnikar was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

"The collection of blood has gone up drastically this year but still we fall short by 1 percent as standard set by the WHO," Karnikar said.

The service Friday celebrated its 40th anniversary at a program.

As per WHO research, if at least 2 percent of the total population donate blood, the shortage of blood can be avoided, she said.

"The consistency of blood donation along with well preserving system will help to meet the WHO recommendation," Raj Karnikar said.

According to the service, of the total blood donors 88.8 percent were male and 11.2 percent female and a total of 33,552 volunteers donated blood.

Besides, as many as 250 haemophiliac patients have been receiving blood component F-VIII and F-IX.

It is estimated that there are around 2,000 haemophiliac patients in the country.

Source: Xinhua