The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Number of virus infected blood collected for transfusion in Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital alarmingly doubled in 2007 than 2006.

The blood transfusion center of SBMCH sources said that in total 12,995 bags of blood were screened here in 2007 and total 132 bags found infected with dangerous viruses like Hepatitis B and C and Syphilis

Out of these bloods, 4,494 bags collected by different blood collection and donation organizations and 7,556 bags were donated by the relatives and nearest ones of the patients and 955 bags were purchased from the professional blood sellers. Among these screened bloods 39 bags collected by blood collection and donor organizations found infected with 'hepatitis-b positive' virus.

Besides 84 bags of bloods found infected with hepatitis-b positive, 2 with hepatitis-c and 10 with syphilis virus in the bloods donated by the relatives and nearest ones of the patients.

Only four bags infected with Hepatitis-B and 2 bags with syphilis virus found in the blood bags collected from professional blood sellers.

Total 9616 bags of bloods were screened, out of those 65 bags of bloods were found infected as 52 with Hepatitis-B, 2 with HIV, 12 with Syphilis and 1 with Malaria in 2006. Dr. Brindabon Biswas, associate professor in charge of SBMCH blood transfusion center and Dr. Md. Fazlul Bashar, associate professor of pathology department of SBMCH, said that if rate of infection in blood transfusion increasing continuously and safe blood transfusions were not ensured then infectious diseases would spread and reach out of control.

In Bangladesh 98 centers are established under safe blood transfusion project and total 10,29,459 bags of bloods were screened from 2001 to 2006 in those centers and out of those 71 bags were found infected with HIV,9,750 with Hepatitis-B, 1,317 with Hepatitis-C, 1346 with Syphilis and 91 with Malaria positive viruses, they added.