Bangalore will be hosting a three-day national conference on blood safety from February 1 to 3, 2002. It is organised by the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immuno-haematology [ISBTI] and will focus on blood banking, blood safety, in the background of an increasing number of HIV and AIDS cases.

Dr. Jayakeerti, chairman, Karnataka chapter of ISBTI, Dr. Latha Jagannathan, medical director & managing trustee, Bangalore Medical Services Trust and Rotary Blood Bank and Dr. P S Prabhakaran, director, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology will be a part of the team from the Karnataka chapter of ISBTI.

This is the twenty sixth conference scheduled to take place at St. John's Academy of Medical Sciences. The last conference was held in 2000 at Tirupati, the famed holy town in Andhra Pradesh.

Apart from blood safety, blood quality management, and a futuristic view about blood transfusion will be discussed. There will also be an international panel of speakers from US, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore.

"The emergence of HIV/AIDS threat from other blood transfusion-related diseases such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C has intensified the importance of quality in blood testing and transfusion," said Dr. Latha Jagannathan.

"We need to educate doctors on diseases caused by blood transfusion and ways to avoid them and give pointers on rational use of blood. We should also encourage voluntary blood donation," said Dr. Jayakeerti.

The organisers also plan to start a study, based on the discussions at the meet and form an advocacy group. The members of the Karnataka chapter of ISBTI said it was sad to note in Indian villages there is a myth that blood donation causes blood loss.

About 500 delegates are expected to attend the conference on blood banking and blood safety, including doctors, technicians, voluntary donor motivation groups, many representatives from city hospitals national bodies etc. Karnataka's AIDS Awareness Body is deputing over 40 officers to attend the meet.

Dr. A B Malakaraddy, Karnataka minister for health and family welfare will inaugurate the meet. Five workshops will be held at various locations in the city which is being organised as a part of the conference on enhancing quality consciousness in Indian blood transfusion, popularising the technology, research and modernising blood banks teaching and training sessions on Stem Cell Transplants and Cord Blood Banking.