Country's Blood Reserves Triple; Blood Transfusion Organization Warns of Future Needs

Iran's blood reserves have risen from 4 days to 12 days, but the Blood Transfusion Organization warns about future blood needs, citing population aging, cancer cases, and complex surgeries.

Ambassador Arjan-Social Group: While the widespread participation of people in critical days has brought the country's blood reserves to the level of developed countries' standards, the Blood Transfusion Organization warns against the increase in the need of patients in the coming years; A need that becomes more important than before with the aging of the population, the growth of cancer cases and the increase of complex surgeries.

Ahmad Qarabaghian, the CEO of Iran Blood Transfusion Organization, on the sidelines of the introduction ceremony of the director general of blood transfusion in Mazandaran province, emphasized the need to change the society's attitude from "donating blood in times of crisis" to "continuous blood donation" and stated: Currently, about 2.7 percent of the country's population donates blood, and the organization's goal is to increase this share to about 3 percent.

Stating that the need for blood and blood products is not limited to accidents, war or special occasions, he added: Medical centers need blood every day of the year, and meeting this continuous need requires regular participation of people in donating blood.

Patients whose lives depend on continuous blood donation

Referring to the different groups of patients who need blood and blood products, the CEO of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization said: Some patients, such as those with thalassemia, depend on receiving regular blood to continue living. Another group, including cancer patients, need platelets and other blood products during treatment or surgery.

Qarabaghian continued: For patients who are going to undergo surgery, blood supply is one of the important requirements of treatment, and in some cases, it is necessary to have a blood reserve before the operation.

He emphasized: Therefore, donating blood should not be considered only during the occurrence of accidents or the publication of news related to crises; Because every day, many patients need people's donated blood to continue their treatment and save their lives.

aging and cancer; The need for blood increases

Referring to the aging of the population and the increase in cancer cases, the CEO of the country's blood transfusion organization considered this to be one of the factors affecting the growth of blood demand in the coming years and stated: With the increase in life expectancy in the country, which is nearly 78 years, the need for heart, vascular and orthopedic surgeries will also increase.

He added: the increase in treatment needs, along with the growth of cancer cases, doubles the necessity of strengthening blood reserves and increasing the number of donors; Therefore, increasing the share of donors from 2.7% to about 3% is one of the goals of the Blood Transfusion Organization.

Iran's blood reserves increased from 4 days to 12 days

Referring to the increase in the country's blood reserves in recent months, Qarabaghian said: In the critical days known as the Ramadan war, the wide acceptance of the people, especially women and young people, caused the country's blood reserves, which were sufficient for about four days, to increase to 9 days in March and to 12 days in April.

He described this reserve amount as an important achievement and said: for the first time in the country's history, Iran's blood reserves reached a level that is comparable to the standards announced for developed countries, that is, about 8 to 12 days.

However, the CEO of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization emphasized that the increase in reserves should not lead to a decrease in people's participation; Because the need of medical centers for blood and its products is daily and continuous.

Referring to the time limit of keeping blood and blood products, he pointed out: today's adequate reserves do not mean that they are not needed tomorrow, and the continuation of blood donation is necessary to maintain the stability of the reserves and respond to the needs of patients.

Development of permanent blood donation centers in cities and towns

In another part of his speech, Qarabaghian named the expansion of permanent blood donation centers in cities and towns as one of the development plans of the Blood Transfusion Organization and said: facilitating people's access to blood donation centers can provide more opportunities for citizens to participate.

Emphasizing the necessity of institutionalizing the culture of blood donation, he added: The goal is to turn blood donation from a one-time act in times of crisis into a continuous behavior and a part of the responsible lifestyle of the people.

According to Ambassador Arjan, reaching the country's blood reserves to 12 days is a sign of the high capacity of social participation in critical situations. But maintaining this achievement depends on the continued presence of donors. With the increase in medical needs and the change in the age structure of the population, strengthening the culture of continuous blood donation can play an important role in the stable supply of blood and blood products and prevent shortages in medical centers.