Beliefs about blood donation among patients visiting Opds of general hospitals

Abstract

Objective: Not much information is available about blood donation in Pakistan, while a number of misconceptions exist among the populace. This study was, therefore, conducted with the objective of identifying the said misconceptions which could lead to formulation and implementation of better policies regarding blood donation in Pakistan. Subjects and Methods: Patients visiting OPDs of some of the General Hospitals of Pakistan were the subjects of this study. A total of about 88 subjects (22 from each hospital) were enrolled and were subjected to self-administered questionnaire or face to face interview on the various perceptions of blood donation. Place of Study: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at four Government General Hospitals of Pakistan ie Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi; Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad; Civil Hospital, Quetta and District Headquarters Hospital, Swabi. Results: The study results showed that out of about 88 patients, about 40 (45.5 %) were blood donors whereas about 48 (55.5%) were not. About 29 patients knew the correct amount of blood that can be drawn for a single donation. About 12 patients knew the eligible age while about 25 knew about the appropriate body weight for blood donation. The major reason for not donating blood was fear of subsequent weakness. Conclusion: Our study concluded that there is a need to develop awareness to the public on blood donation, and its importance, so as to get rid of their misconceptions. This will increase the number of blood donors, especially Non-Remunerated Voluntary Blood Donors and help meet the ever-growing demand of blood and its products