Soon, a
national e-blood bank service
Aiming at boosting blood donation in the country, the union health
ministry is planning a nationwide database of blood donors connected through a web-enabled
system.
"Blood donation services require a complete revamp. We are planning a national database of blood donors connected through email and social media," Health Secretary P.K. Pradhan said here Tuesday.
"We want more volunteers for effective resource management and constantly engagement with the community in the database," Pradhan added.
Already functional in Odisha, e-blood bank service is a web-enabled system for electronic monitoring of blood collection, testing, storage and final use or disposal. The system functions through bar-coding of blood bags to ensure blood collected first is used first in 100 per cent cases.
"An online database of regular donors needs to be maintained. Donors listed in the database will get SMS reminders and encouragement notes so that their interest is maintained," he said, adding "a similar system could work for organ donation".
The health ministry is roping in volunteers from the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS). While voluntary blood donation camps organized by schools, colleges and civil society have popularised blood donation among people, a proper collection and transfusion service is needed, the official said.
According to official statistics, the percentage of annual voluntary blood donors per year is around 50 per cent, way less than the World Health Organisation's target of 100 per cent collection through voluntary non-remunerated donors.
10.05.2012
Heart patients shouldn't live along
roadways
Heart attack survivors living within 100 metres of major roadways face
increased risk of death from all causes.
A survey of 3,547 heart attack survivors (average age 62 years) has shown that those living within 100 meters of roads have a 27 per cent higher risks of dying over 10 years than those living at least 1,000 metres away.
Those living between 100 to 199 metres from roads have 19 per cent increased risks of death. Those living 200 to 999 metres away have a 13 per cent higher risk of death.
"We
think there is exposure to a combination of air pollution near these roadways
and other exposure, such as excessive noise or stress from living close to the roadway, that may contribute to
the study findings," said Murray A. Mittleman, study author and director
of the Cardiovascular Research Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in
Boston.
During the 10 years of the Onset Study, 1,071 deaths occurred: 672 people (63 per cent) died of cardiovascular causes. Cancer was the cause of death for 131 people (12 per cent) and respiratory disease for 45 (4 per cent), the journal Circulation reports.
"People with lower levels of education and income are more likely to live in communities closer to a major roadway, so they are bearing a larger burden of the risk associated with exposure than people with more resources," said Mittleman, also associate professor at Harvard Medical School, according to Beth Israel statement.
The findings provide new evidence that long-term exposure to roadways is tied to increased risk for death, including in patients with underlying Cardiovascular disease, said Mittleman.
10.05.2012
Life isn't
about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself
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