THE BLOOD BANK AT SREE CHITRA TIRUNAL INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY: A SNIPPET TO THE PROMOTERS OF REGULAR VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONATION

[BEST PRACTICE DOCUMENTATION UNIT OF KSACS]

THE BLOOD BANK AT SREE CHITRA TIRUNAL INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES
AND TECHNOLOGY: A SNIPPET TO THE PROMOTERS OF REGULAR VOLUNTARY BLOOD
DONATION
--------------------------------------------------------------
Adequate and safe supply of blood and blood components is
indispensable component in safeguarding the lives of patients. Thus
Blood Transfusion Services constitute an important part of the
healthcare delivery system. Blood transfusion itself can be a cause of
illness through transmission of dreaded viruses, bacteria, protozoa
etc. It is estimated that around 1.5 percent of the HIV infections in
the country occur through the transfusion of blood and blood products.
Voluntary non-remunerated regular repeat blood donation of low-risk
population is the only solution to ensure adequate and safe blood.
The Blood Bank at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences
and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, a pioneer Institute in Kerala, has
been promoting regular voluntary blood donation from the beginning.
The strategies and activities adopted by this model Blood Bank to
propagate voluntary blood donation can be replicated to accomplish the
intention of NACP-III in voluntary blood donation.
‘From the very beginning our blood bank, which started in the year
1976, has been depending only on altruistic persons who donate blood
on his/her own free will’ says Dr. Jaisy Mathai (Head of the
Department of the SCTIMST Blood Bank).‘Maintaining best standards in
patient care is one of the mottos of the Institute and hence we always
ensured to keep away professional donors and middlemen as it is
essential to ensure safe blood supply’, she continues.

‘For us it is a life saving service, not just an exchange of blood or
blood product and hence we try our best to maintain high standards in
serving our beneficiaries’ Dr. Usha Kanadaswamy, Medico Social Worker
of the Blood Bank affirms. ‘We try our best to motivate non-
remunerated voluntary donors through awareness creation and by
imbibing firm determination in the minds of the potential donors. Our
staff members are skillful enough to tackle hesitance, if any,
exhibited by the donor. We give due respect to our donors and hence
they consider themselves as worthy, important, and ambassadors to the
cause of blood donation. We ensure donor friendly ambience and
comprehensive donor care in our Blood Bank. We are zealous in
developing professional rapport with all our donors. The voluntary
donor panel as of present stands at more than 2000 donors and regular
repeat blood donors are encouraged to donate at regular intervals. The
donor management and care is such that it increases the closeness and
confidence of our donors in us, and periodically visit us to donate
blood voluntarily. Our donors are very precious to us’ she states.
‘Every time I reach SCTIMST Blood Bank, I get a homely feeling. Staff
members receive me as a near and dear one. The recognition that I
enjoy from the reception at the post donation room encourages my
spirit to visit the blood bank periodically. I regularly attend family
get-togethers of donors organized by SCTIMST Blood Bank, along with my
wife and children. They are also familiar to the staff members of the
blood bank’, says Mr. Varghese, one among the 150 enlisted regular
voluntary blood donors of SCTIMST who donates blood once in every
three months.

Potential donors go through three levels of safety assurance, before
blood donation. Medical Social Worker asserts the authenticity of
donors brought by the relatives and donors are counseled on high risk
behavior by a trained counselor. Their doubts are cleared and they are
assessed for fitness for donation by the Medical officer. They are
encouraged to read handouts on ‘How safe am I’ and get an
understanding of the blood donation procedure (‘Facts about blood
donation you need to know before donation’). Phlebotomy is done with
great care. Post donation instruction materials available are provided
and test results are conveyed to those who have given consent.
Replacement and first time donors are motivated to donate voluntarily
and are encouraged to bring their friends along.

SCTIMST Blood bank has implemented several innovations for donor
motivation. Organizers are given training on motivational techniques
and undergo training for trainers (TOT). These trainers take classes
in the community and maintain good rapport with them. The community
requirement for blood is arranged by these organizers through liaison
with Blood Banks. Blood Bank issues certificate to the donors after
every donation. Donors and organizers are felicitated yearly on the
World Blood Donor Day with certificate of appreciation and memento.
The program also includes health related talk and cultural events.
Issuing of donor Identity Card to regular donors with the date of
donation is one of the most attractive incentives among repeat donors.
Donors have a small-medical check-up that includes checking of blood
pressure, pulse, hemoglobin, weight and history taking on the donor
questionnaire. As a motivational incentive, non communicable diseases
like diabetes, hypertension, high iron and hemoglobin content and
their adverse effect on health are explained to them and they are
advised on the importance of remaining healthy. Tests conducted on the
donated blood for transmissible infections are explained to them. If
the blood is found reactive, the donor will be referred for repeat
testing, follow up and management. This helps in the early management
of the disease process. All these efforts expand the role of Blood
Bank in individual and community health. Beneficial role of repeat
donations on health is well documented and positive interaction with
donors encourages donor return.

Symposia, seminars, talks, discussions, get-togethers and community
meetings on important occasions like the World Health day, World Blood
Donors Day, National blood donation day etc., are regularly organized
for motivating donor groups like educational institutions, industrial
and commercial Houses, social and cultural organizations, religious
and political organizations, NCC and other uniformed services, Medical
Institutions, women’s organizations, Government offices, residence
associations etc. Staff members through their associations and
students of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and
Technology donate blood voluntarily on emergency call from the Blood
Bank. Every year students who join different courses at the Institute
are given an orientation on the functioning of the Blood Bank and
facility available for voluntary blood donation. SCTIMST Blood bank as
the first to start mobile blood donation camps in and around
Trivandrum, way back in 2002 which were well appreciated by organizers
and they in turn put best efforts to make it a grand program ensuring
participation of every one in their area. Apart from mobile camps, the
blood bank has in-house voluntary donor collections as well.

The Village adoption Programme conducted at Vilappil Grama Panchayath
of Thiruvananthapuram District, completed in the year 2000 was a
comprehensive blood donor motivation programme, undertaken by SCTIMST
Blood Bank. It was an action oriented blood donation literacy
programme conducted with the support of the local self government. The
programme had motivated blood donors from all wards of the Panchayat.
Most of these donors still visit the blood bank periodically to donate
blood voluntarily. Future plans of SCTIMST Blood bank include focus on
women as blood donors and a project, exclusively targeting this
objective, is being planned.

A fully computerized data base enables the Blood Bank to maintain
details like names, address and contact numbers of blood donor and
organizations for ready and easy access at times of need.
Communication through letters, periodicals, seasonal greetings through
specially designed greeting cards, organizing regular get-togethers,
observance of important days etc are strategically used by SCTIMST to
maintain continued rapport with the donors. Publications such as
‘AIDS’, ‘Blood the Essence of Life’, interactive sessions and talks on
AIR and TV, provide basic knowledge on blood and blood donation to the
donors as well as the public.

SCTIMST Blood Bank is the recipient of the Red Cross award for three
consecutive years (1996-98) for safe transfusion practices and, the
Certificate of Merit – Best Blood Bank award 2005, instituted by
Kerala State AIDS Control Society and Kerala State Blood Transfusion
Council for outstanding services in promoting the cause of voluntary
blood donation.

The Blood Bank is well equipped with modern equipments and has
qualified and experienced staff members. Access to safe blood is the
right of every individual, mandated by the law. NACO, as the
responsible organization, takes over the primary responsibility of
ensuring widespread availability of safe and quality blood/blood
products in the country; and blood safety is a critical component of
the National AIDS Prevention and Control Programme. It tries to
promote voluntary blood donation for ensuring the availability of safe
and adequate supply of blood and blood products. The efforts of the
SCTIMST Blood bank in promoting safe blood donors will be a paradigm
for others and the initiatives of SCTIMST Blood Bank will certainly
contribute to the realization of the vision of NACP-III.