To celebrate World Blood Donor Day, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo today inaugurated State-of-Art Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT-PCR) facility at Government Medical College Jammu for safer quality blood transfusion.Among others, Bhupinder Kumar, Mission Director, National Health Mission, J&K, Dr Nasib C Digra Principal & Dean Govt Medical College, Jammu and Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Rather, Project Director J&K State AIDS Control Society (JKSACS ) were also present on the occasion.Speaking on the occasion, Atal Dulloo said that with the implementation of Nobel Prize winning NAT-PCR technology, the Blood Transfusion safety will now be comparable to international standards.“This facility shall help in early detection of transfusion transmission infections like HIV, HBV & HCV,” he said.NAT testing facility has been funded by National Health Mission.On the occasion, Project Director JKSACS said that a month long campaign has been launched to celebrate the World Blood Donors Day across J&K.He said that every year this day is celebrated across the world to thank Voluntary Blood Donors for their life saving gift. The theme for this year's World Blood Donors Day is "Safe Blood Saves Lives".
Dr Meena Sidhu, Head of Department Blood & Transfusion Medicine GMC Jammu speaking on the occasion said that it is high time that highest safety for patients and wellbeing of the people of Jammu region be adopted as an integral part of blood transfusion services.“Blood donations screened with world class NAT PCR technology will reduce the risk of infection in 3 patients, as every unit of blood can be transfused to three people when separated into components,” Sidhu said.Dr Sidhu emphasized that not only the people of Jammu will now receive the safest blood, but the donors will also get adequate counselling with the additional benefit of the Multiplex Multidye assay of NAT-PCR.Dr Nasib C Digra, Principal & Dean Medical College, Jammu highlighted that this is the first such installation of fully automated NAT-PCR technology in the entire Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, ensuring the highest level of blood safety.On this occasion a voluntary blood donation camp was also organized by JK Donors organization in which 25 donors donated blood.The programme was organized following all the mandatory precautions of maintaining social distancing & other measures keeping in view the COVID -19 as a joint activity by the JKSACS & Department of Blood Transfusion Medicine GMC, Jammu.