THE Health Minister, Dr Kyaw Myint, has expressed appreciation of the life-saving role of blood donors and urged them to encourage more people to follow their example.

“I am deeply grateful to those who have saved millions of lives by donating their blood for life-threatening crises,” Dr Kyaw Myint said at a ceremony to mark World Blood Donor Day on June 14.

Dr Kyaw Myint highlighted the importance of safe blood for transfusions.

“Donors are encouraged to keep themselves free from diseases that may be transmitted by transfusions and are requested to help recruit voluntary blood donors,” he said at the ceremony, held at the International Business Centre on Pyay Road.

Dr Kyaw Myint said the ministry had enacted a law last year aimed at preventing the transmission of diseases through blood transfusions.

He said a national system had been introduced to test donated blood for the presence of HIV. Efforts were being made to provide hospitals throughout the country with the capacity to test blood for the presence of hepatitis B and C and syphilis.

Among those at the ceremony was U Ohn Kyaw, 56, a bus driver, who began donating blood as a volunteer nearly 40 years ago during a visit to Yangon General Hospital.

“I saw injured patients moaning and crying out in pain and the experience stirred me to help save lives by donating blood,” said U Ohn Kyaw.

U Ohn Kyaw, who has given blood 108 times, said he followed a health lifestyle and avoided behaviour that would put at risk his ability to donate safe blood.

“I want to ensure that my blood is safe for transfusions,” he said.

Another regular volunteer donor, U Aye Thwe, 53, a sport coach at a Yangon state high school, said he became a donor 35 years ago as a result of a promise to his mother.

“When I was 18, my mother was hospitalised for a gynaecological condition.

There was no blood readily available for her so I decided to give my blood,” said U Aye Thwe, who has donated blood 109 times.

“My mother asked me to save the lives of people who need transfusions and I decided to donate blood as long as I am healthy,” he said.

The shortage of volunteer donors was highlighted earlier this month by Dr Thida Aung, the consultant pathologist at the National Blood Centre at Yangon General Hospital.

The centre had about 3000 regular donors but about 9500 were needed to meet the needs of the nine hospitals in Yangon, Dr Thida Aung said.

Speaking at a workshop on donor recruitment at the National Health Laboratory on June 7, Dr Thida Aung, said testing showed the safest blood was given by donors who did not expect to be paid.

She said HIV had been detected in the blood of paid donors, many of whom offer their services to those who need to arrange transfusions.

Dr Thida Aung said the centre had received 23,912 donations last year, of which 13,039 were given by voluntary donors and the balance was donations provided by the friends and relatives of patients undergoing treatment.

This was up from 22,934 donations in 2002, of which 9891 were provided by volunteer donors.

Dr Thida Aung said HIV had been detected in 0.61 per cent of the donations given last year, down from one per cent in 2002.

“It is essential to convice donors that they have the responsibility for ensuring that the blood they give is safe for transfusions,” she said.

The National Health Laboratory says up to 200,000 half-litre containers of blood are used throughout Myanmar each year. The laboratory says it costs up to US$12 to test each container.