<i>Mobile blood bank to fight anaemia, malaria </i>
Over 14,000 attacked with malaria, 2002 with anaemia in 10 months in Matiranga
Army organises a mobile blood bank at Matiranga Degree College recently. Photo: STAR
The army organised a programme titled “Mobile blood bank programme” at Matiranga Degree College to fight anaemia and malaria that frequently take lives at Matiranga upazila in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Over 14,000 people were reportedly attacked with malaria and 2002 with anaemia in the last 10 months since January in the upazila having a population of 1,34,000, sources said. Of them, 576 were attacked with cerebral malaria that killed eight people in three months until October while two died due to anaemia. Attack and death of many due to malaria and anaemia in remote areas of Matiranga, the most populated upazila, remain unreported or uncounted for, they said. The people, including tribal and non-tribal, are getting their names registered in eight groups according to blood groups and RH factors. They launched programme at Matiranga, a remote upazila in the malaria-prone hilly district of Khagrachhari, on December 15. As against the scheduled number of 1000 as many as 1396 people got their blood grouping and registration done on the day at the college, some 90km off the port city. While visiting the area on the day, a group of journalists from Chittagong saw several thousand people, including kids and old-aged ones, who are rather supposed to be scared of needles and hardly aware of blood grouping, thronged the college campus amid enthusiasm and festivity. They queued each of the 10 tents where the lab technicians and representatives, one each from Bangalee, Murang, Tirpura and Chakma tribes, were giving voluntary service for blood collection, grouping and registration. After the blood grouping, everyone got an identity card with blood group (along with RH factor) to receive or donate blood. “The campaign helped us become quite aware of the importance of grouping, matching and transfusion of blood to fight anaemia and malaria,” said Aneu Chowdhury Nayan, headman and commissioner of Matiranga Sadar. “To tackle the huge rush each of the headmen and Karbaris was assigned to bring only 20 to 30 people from their respective village or Mohalla for blood grouping,” said Md Nurul Afsar a teacher of Matiranga Degree College. Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Afzalur Rahman said the campaign and the mobile blood bank programme are phenomenal events. With anaemia and malaria taking a huge toll on invaluable lives here every year, the programme has got tremendous response and spontaneous support, said Matiranga College Principal Md Abul Hossain. Local health officer Nurul Karim recalled the tragic death of Masuda Begum, 25, brought to them from Alutila for blood transfusion at night few months ago. “With all the labs already closed we fetched a lab assistant only to know that the lady patient carried blood of B group when the Rh factor remained unidentified,” he said. “Being a person of B positive group I myself donated blood that she rejected indicating her blood group as B negative,” he said. “Unfortunately, no donor of that group could be found even at the Zone (army zone headquarters) at that moment and Masuda died before the dawn,” he added. The representatives of Matiranga army zone said they have come up with the mobile blood bank concept as they have failed to donate blood and witnessed people dying for blood many a time. Commanding Officer (CO) of Matiranga Army Zone said local pharmacies, Grameen Shakti, BDR, VDP, local administrations and the teachers and students of different educational institutions made the programme a success providing volunteers. He said they are planning to offer blood grouping free of cost to 5000 people in several phase and make list on the basis of Para, Mohalla and Village. Local health complex or centres, ward commissioners, headmen and Karbaris will preserve copies of the lists to approach the mobile blood bank for blood if needed.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments