Kerala launches Rare Blood Donor Registry
Thiruvananthapuram: In a bid to enhance access to rare blood types for patients in need, the Kerala Blood Transfusion Council has launched the Rare Blood Donor Registry, a database of donors with rare blood groups in the state.
Difficulty in finding suitable blood matches is a major challenge in transfusion services, and the registry has been introduced to address this issue and identify eligible donors, State Health Minister Veena George said in a statement on Sunday.
According to the PTI report, the Rare Blood Donor Registry was launched at the National Conclave of Blood Transfusion Services in Kochi, attended by representatives from various states, she said.
The Department of Central Blood Transfusion Services has announced plans to extend the registry across the country, George added.
The registry will be further expanded to include more donors, she said, adding that it has been compiled after testing several antigens.
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The service will soon be made available throughout the state, she said, noting that the project was completed in coordination with state-run medical colleges in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Thrissur, and Kozhikode.
The blood bank at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram has been designated as the state nodal center for the initiative by the Kerala State Blood Transfusion Council, adds PTI.
As many as 3,000 rare blood donors have been registered so far, the minister added.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Kerala government is planning to launch a registry for rare diseases and set up a treatment clinic in Kozhikode, announced State Health Minister Veena George. Speaking after inaugurating a workshop for experts in rare disease treatment here, George said the government aims to prevent rare diseases as its primary objective. She said a rare disease treatment clinic will be established in Kozhikode soon.
