Most blood banks in India prefer type 'O' blood donations: Exper

New Delhi, Sep 17 (UNI) Pathology and Microbiology experts all over the world are successfully nearing research which will help in changing any type blood and blood product into blood type 'O' negative or positive to meet the global challenge of blood shortage.

Blood group 'O' is the universal blood type and can be transfused to any blood group patients.

Speaking at a two-day meet on 'Initiative to fight HIV/AIDS' here, Dr Sunil Rajadhyaksha from Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital said seeing more acceptability of type 'O'blood and platelets in more than 80 per cent of patients in the country, most of the blood banks are preferring type 'O' blood donations.

Dr Rajadhyaksha said blood and blood products like Platelets, which are the clotting component in blood, are especially needed for certain medical procedures including surgeries, chemotherapy and organ transplants as well as accidents.

''Most of the hospitals have inadequate blood supply of various blood types and to find self sufficiency major blood banks and hospitals are trying store type 'O' blood and blood products,'' he said .

''Researchers the world over are trying to find ways and means to convert blood to group 'O' as it is universally accepted,'' he said at the conference organised by the Rotary Blood Bank in association with National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

He said apart from this research, world wide programmes have been launched to educate people to donate and preserve their own blood-- considered the safest for transfusion.

''A person, who is above the age of 18 or older and weights at least 50 kg can safely donate blood every 56 days, and platelets can be donated approximately every two weeks up to 24 times per year,'' he pointed out.

''Donated blood can be preserved in a blood bank for three years.

At the time of an emergency the same persons stored blood can be used, which will have less side effects and is well accepted in the body,'' he explained.

Dr Rajadhakshya also warned against use of donor blood from close relatives as research had found that a patient using such blood can get health problems later.

Stressing the need for inactivation of blood and blood products before transfusion, he said research had shown that despite advancement in clinical testing before transfusion certain viruses remained undetected and created problems at a later stage in a patient.

Blood transfusion is becoming a major cause of spread of AIDS in India. While eight per cent of the total cases occur due to blood transfusion, 82 per cent cases in India are due to unprotected sex.

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