Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya says the government intends to systematically reinstate a previously proposed initiative to allocate one day annually for state institutions to participate in blood donation.
PM Amarasuriya said that, additionally, more opportunities should be provided within the school system to raise awareness about blood donation, as future blood donors are nurtured through education.
“Even amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, these individuals fulfilled their national responsibility without hesitation. Today, Sri Lanka has become a country that meets 100% of its blood demand through voluntary donations, thanks to the tremendous service rendered by these individuals,” she said.
The Prime Minister said that in Sri Lanka, approximately 85% of the annual blood requirement is fulfilled through the invaluable contribution of organizers of mobile blood donation campaigns.
“I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to them. Out of the 450,000 blood units received annually by the National Blood Transfusion Service, more than 380,000, around 85%, are collected through these mobile donation campaigns. Nearly 5,000 mobile blood donation drives are organized annually to support this cause. These organizers dedicate their personal resources, time, and labour voluntarily without expecting any personal gain. The uniquely effective blood donation system that exists in Sri Lanka is not seen in many parts of the world,” she said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Nalinda Jayatissa said that the government is focusing on modernizing the Blood Transfusion Service further.
He said the Ministry of Health is working to introduce opportunities for stem cell and plasma donations, implement NAT (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test) testing, enhance quality control mechanisms at all blood banks, and establish internationally recognized standards such as AABB and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) to uplift the service to even greater heights.
“Two key sectors of Sri Lanka’s health system, the primary healthcare and the National Blood Transfusion Service, have received international recognition. In 2010, the World Health Assembly declared that by 2020, all countries should fulfil their blood requirements entirely through voluntary donations. Sri Lanka achieved this goal by 2014. As of today, only about 70 countries worldwide have reached this standard. The true heroes behind this significant achievement are Sri Lanka’s blood donors and mobile campaign organizers, a uniquely committed group of individuals with pure hearts,” he said.
PM Harini Amarasuriya and Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa made the remarks while addressing the National Commemorative Ceremony marking World Blood Donor Day, held at Temple Trees on Saturday (14 June).
The event, held under the theme declared by the World Health Organization for this year, “Give Blood, Give Hope – Together we save lives”, also saw blood donors being honoured through a special appreciation ceremony.
Around 1,500 blood donors and nearly 1,000 mobile blood donation campaign organizers participated in this commemorative event. Individuals representing all ethnicities, religions, provinces, and regions of the country, ranging from corporate entities, government institutions, volunteer organizations, schools, defence services, and individual contributors, were awarded at this ceremony.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Health Hansaka Wijemuni, and Secretary, Consultant Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe and several government officials and a large number of blood donors. (Newswire)