First Blood donors recipient reunion

Call for compulsory blood test before marriage for a thalassemia free Bangladesh.  Speakers at a reunion of blood donors and recipients called for blood test compulsory before marriage to ensure building a thalassemia free Bangladesh.

They said the blood test helps identify the carriers of thalassemia and prevent the number of 25 per cent birth of thalassemia children.

The first ever reunion of over 200 blood donors and 200 thalassemic patients was organised by Quantum Foundation (QF) at teh IDEB bhaban on the occasion of World Blood Donors Day.

Personal physician of the Prime Minister Emeritus Professor of BSMMU ABM Abdullah attended the function as chief guest and spoke during a seminar on Thalassemia later on.

Presided over by QF Voluntary Blood Donation programmme Chief Coordinator Madam Nahar Al Bokhari, the seminar was addressed by President of Hematology Society of Bangladesh Professor Brigadier General (Retd) Dr AKM Mostafa Abedin and Advisor of Bangladesh Thalassemia Society Hospital Syed Didar Bakht.

QF Director Motivation of Voluntary Blood Donation Programme M Rezaul Hasan also spoke.

Chief guest Dr Abdullah said though total cure from thalassemia is still under research, its prevention can be ensured through identifying the carriers before marriage and check the number of birth.

Dr Abdullah assured of highlighting the importance of the compulsory blood test at the time marriage registration to the Prime Minister so that a related policy guideline can be formulated.

Didar Bakht said 80 to 90 per cent thalassemia can be prevented by stopping marriage of two thalassemia carriers. He said counties like India, Pakistan, Turkey, Italy etc., have already declared thalassemia free country.

AKM Mostafa Abedin laid importance on registering the numbers of carriers for the prevention of thalassemia spread.

Umme Salma Moushumi shared the memory of her mother’s critical condition for blood need at her childhood and said she carries the feeling of saving mothers, family, by donating every 41 times till now.

Maisha Binte Shadat as recipient of blood expressed her gratitude after meeting so many donors together and said she is still alive at her age 14 which her parents never expected at the time of her diagnosis.