ISLAMABAD: Project Director Safe Blood Transfusion Programme (SBTP) Prof Hasan Abbas Zaheer on Thursday said it is important to promote the culture of voluntary blood donation as the country relies on family donors to sustain the transfusion system.

`This is not an enviable situation and places unnecessary burden on families of patients who are already under stress.

Reliance on voluntary and regular blood donors will also improve the blood safety standards manifold. In addition, it will transform the current `demand-driven system` into a supply-driven system,` he said while speaking at an event held at a local hotel.

Prof Zaheer said to achieve this objective, healthy people particularly the youth have to donate blood on a regular basis three to four times a year.

He said the Islamabad Regional Blood Centre would be developed by the end of next year and would have 100pc reliance on voluntary and regular blood donors.

The programme has chalked two strategies for achieving this challenging target: conversion of suitable family donors into voluntary and regular blood donors and strengthening of university-based blood donor organisations.

Dr Masuma Zaidi from the German Development Bank, KFW, appreciated the commitment of the government to improve the blood transfusion system in the country.

She said the German government, which had funded the SBTP, classified the project as a `success story` and a `project to emulate.