RECORDER REPORT

Karachi: The Afzaal Memorial Thalassemia Foundation (AMTF) Thursday introduced a new concept for promoting practice of blood donations in Pakistan, Salifome, which stands for ‘Saving a Life in Front of My Eyes’ where a blood donor sees blood being transfused to a Thalassemia patient in real time while donating his or her own blood.

“Salifome is a new concept to emotionally attach a blood donor with a blood recipient, especially with a child suffering from Thalassemia, who is dependent on others’ blood for their entire life”, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AMTF Dr Asim Qidwai told a news conference AMTF Thalassemia Center in Karachi.

Dr Tariq Aziz, a hematologist associated with AMTF, Atiq-ur-Rehman Executive Director AMTF, renowned neurologist Dr Abdul Malik and Finance Secretary of the AMTF Rehan Yasin were also present on the occasion. Dr Qidwai said they conceived and launched the Salifome concept in May 2015 in order to convince and explain to the blood donors that their blood was really important for blood-dependent children and to show them the feelings of a child when he or she receives blood.

“After seeing blood being transfused to a child while donating his own blood, the donor asks us to register him or her as a permanent donor as he or she finally understands the need for regular blood donations. So far, around 2,000 persons have registered themselves with us as permanent blood donors”, Dr. Qidwai informed.

He said this concept was also being followed by other hospitals and healthcare centers in the world in various shapes and forms where donors are shown the miseries of children and patients who regularly require blood but added that AMTF started drawing blood from the bodies in front of their recipients who would be getting blood transfused to create a bond between them and highlight the importance of blood donation in saving lives.

AMTF Chief Executive Officer maintained that in a country where people donate blood only in order to get blood in exchange for their loved ones and where there is no concept of voluntary blood donations, their project Salifome could create a major difference.

If followed by other blood banks, Thalassemia centers and hospitals, ratio of voluntary blood donations could be increased manifolds, Dr. Qidwai maintained and added that a large registry of blood donors’ could be created to save millions of lives annually in Pakistan by following the concept of Salifome.

To a query, he said around 2,000 blood donors had become active members of their blood registry after undergoing the experience of Salifome and added that they only register a blood when he or she comes for the second time to donate blood and shows willingness to be available for blood donations.