Features
Safe blood: keeping the nation’s heart beating
World Blood Donor Day falls tomorrow under the banner, ‘Give blood and keep the world-beating’.
Sri Lankan blood donors have put the country on the world map as one of the very few countries which has achieved a 100% voluntary, unremunerated blood donor base. This is the realization of the National Blood Transfusion Service’s (NBTS) vision of becoming a ‘unique model for the world securing quality assured blood services through a nationally coordinated system.’ NBTS is the only autonomous state run blood transfusion service in South Asia to be conferred a WHO Collaborating Centre which has emerged a regional centre of excellence today. NBTS is also a member of the two leading international bodies- International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) and the Asian Association of Transfusion Medicine (AATM). This ‘lifeline’ of our health sector continues to offer a new lease of life to many despite challenging times.
by Randima Attygalle
The first major incident of blood transfusion in the country took place in 1959 when surgery was performed on the late Prime Minister S.W.R.D Bandaranaike who was shot. The public awareness on blood transfusion was made following this unfortunate incident when as appeal was made to the public to donate blood for the late Premier’s surgery. Back then the Blood Bank was only a single room located near the surgical unit of the General Hospital Colombo (present National Hospital of Sri Lanka). In 1960 it was shifted to the building opposite the Faculty of Medicine. It was an era of using sterilized glass bottles for collection which were reused by the service. A donor was paid ten rupees per donation and the blood was screened only for malaria and syphilis. In 1962 the first regional blood bank was established at the General Hospital, Galle. Today the National Blood Centre is headquartered in Narahenpita consisting of 105 hospitals affiliated to 25 cluster centres.
The centrally coordinated national blood transfusion service with its 105 affiliated blood banks across the country stands above many regional counterparts with their ‘fragmented systems’. This is aligned with the WHO recommendation that ‘all activities related to blood collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution be coordinated at the national level through effective organization and integrated blood supply networks.’ Unlike a system where blood is collected in fragments or 
in isolation, a nationally managed mechanism such as ours not only prevents blood wastage but also assures safety, quality and equitable access to all, says Director, NBTS, Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe. Blood, which has a shelf life, needs to be managed, maximizing the availability to the patients’ need and assuring minimal wastage. While the international standard for blood wastage is about 5%, NBTS maintains a level even below that on most occasions which is significant.
NBTS also adheres to ‘Hemovigilance’ which is a set of surveillance procedures covering the entire transfusion chain from the collection of blood and its components to the follow up of its recipients, intended to collect and access information on unexpected or undesirable effects resulting from the therapeutic use of labile blood products. “A mismatched blood transfusion could be fatal. Hemovigilance help assure optimum quality and safety with minimum mishaps,” explains Dr. Edirisinghe.
The ‘crisis situation’ which the NBTS ran into prior to Vesak Poya last month, when the stocks were very low, (due to travel restrictions), was reversed within a few days thanks to the donors who responded to the appeal says the NBTS Director. The local annual requirement is around 450,000 units of blood out of which the daily requirement is around 1,000 to 1,200 RCC (red cell concentrates) units. NBTS strives to assure a national repository level of 12,000 to 13,000 RCC stock. “A RCC stock of about 12,000 units is required and during the pandemic surges these stocks came down drastically due to affected collection which is far below the numbers of continued patient issues. However, thanks to the donors who quickly responded to our appeal, we managed to completely reverse the situation,” notes Dr. Edirisinghe. The challenge now is to control the blood collection just adequate to satisfy the current demand, minimizing wastage as the shelf-life of RCCs is 35 to 42 days, he says. “In addition, there is a daily need of platelets; about 450 units at present. Since they cannot be stored for more than five to six days, blood collections should be maintained at least every two to three days. Thus the usual pattern of organizing mobile blood campaigns during week-ends and public holidays should be strengthened with week day collections, especially with in-house donations on appointment basis with the on-line donor pre-registration system of the National Blood Transfusion Service website.” (www.nbts.health)
Nearly 120 million units of blood are donated globally every year according to the WHO. Blood transfusions are needed for a wide range of health conditions including anaemia, complications during pregnancy and childbirth, severe trauma due to accidents, and surgical procedures. They are also regularly used for patients with conditions such as thalassaemia and for blood components to treat bleeding conditions associated with many diseases. The baseline requirement for blood transfusion has now taken a new dimension points out Dr. Edirisinghe. While road accidents, routine and emergency surgeries require the highest volume of blood transfusions, even during a lockdown or with travel restrictions a baseline requirement of 800 RCC units needs to be maintained for thalassaemia and cancer patients whose life expectancy is now extended. Blood transfusions are also needed for those with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) today.
Realizing a base of 100% voluntary unremunerated donors has enabled us to do away with replacement donors. “The ‘giving culture’ of our nation has undoubtedly played a significant role apart from other contributory factors such as having repetitive blood donors and a centrally coordinated system in place,” remarks Dr. Edirisinghe. Regular donors, is an international indicator in blood transfusion which enables quality assured blood. As the WHO notes, ‘an adequate and reliable supply of safe blood can be assured by a stable base of regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donors. These donors are also the safest group of donors as the prevalence of blood-borne infections is lowest among this group.’
Once blood is collected, samples are screened for diseases which are transmitted by blood. Regular donors Dr. Edirisinghe explains, can help improve the safety of donations. Moreover, regular donors very often become organizers of blood donation campaigns which is a bonus factor he says. In addition to the usual screening process, an additional screening tool is now in place to assess donors of the COVID risk. “Those who have either COVID-like or influenza like symptoms, people coming from households with COVID positive patients, those whose PCR or antigen test results are pending are not eligible to become donors. People who have returned from foreign countries in the last three months or those who hope to travel out of the country in the next three months are also not eligible to donate blood,” says the NBTS Director who urges all donors to be responsible and transparent in their disclosure of information.
Despite these temporary limitations, COVID patients, after 28 days from complete recovery are eligible to donate blood, provided they fulfill other criteria. “COVID is not proven so far as to be transmitted through blood or a blood product, therefore those who have recovered have no restrictions in donating blood. In fact, plasma, a blood component prepared from a blood donation is a treatment modality for some COVID patients, which is now underway at NBTS,” explains the physician.
Certain criteria needs to be fulfilled to qualify as a blood donor. A donor needs to be between 18 and 60 years with a hemoglobin level of more than 12.5 g/dL. They should also be free of any non-communicable disease (NCD) including high blood pressure, cardiac disease and cancer. Insulin-dependent diabetic patients also disqualify as donors. “Those with NCDs are disqualified not because their blood is of inferior quality, but because there is a health risk for them when physiological changes occur due to sudden volume depletion in their blood levels following a donation,” explains Dr. Edirisinghe. People with HIV or any other sexually transmitted diseases including Syphilis and those who have ever had Hepatitis B and C are disqualified to be donors. People who have tattooed themselves are also disqualified to donate blood for a year since it involves needle-piercing.
The enthusiasm of the young blood donors (between 18 and 25) is very heartening remarks the physician who encourages the young population of the country to be healthy, free from NCDs as only the healthy can become regular blood donors. He also dispels several myths surrounding blood donation. “Donating blood can make a person obese, it makes the immune system weak and vegetarians cannot donate blood are some of the common myths which need to be debunked. A healthy person can also donate blood up to three times per year (with intervals of four months).”
Thanking all donors who have contributed to the success story of NBTS of the country, its Director encourages regular donors and first-timers to make use of the pre-booking system which was introduced via the NBTS hotline (011-5332153/011-5332154) and the NBTS website (http://nbts.health) during the lockdown as means of mitigating overcrowding during the pandemic. Pre- booking (as opposed to standard walk-in donations) helps NBTS to arrange for donors to visit a centre close to their home or workplace during this pandemic sparing them of the hassle of visiting its headquarters.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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