KARACHI: Lack of blood donations in Karachi has put the lives of around 30 children suffering from thalassaemia at risk. Around 30 thalassaemia patients weren’t able to get blood transfusion at Kashif Iqbal Thalassaemia Care Center (KITCC) on Monday. However, a group of labourers came to the rescue of the affected children by donating blood. According to Muhammad Iqbal, the secretary information of Thalassaemia Federation of Pakistan, volunteer blood donation has gone down to alarmingly low levels during the past few weeks. On Monday, around 40 children visited the KITCC but 30 of them could not get blood transfusion because of non-availability of the vital fluid. “We are in dire need of blood. People are reluctant to donate blood,” Iqbal told Daily Times. Thalassaemia is an inherited blood disorders that can result in the abnormal formation of hemoglobin. Thalassaemia is a genetic disorders inherited from a person’s parents. Because those with a severe form of thalassaemia require blood transfusions as often as every two weeks, the blood supply is of special importance to the thalassaemia community. Due to non-availability of official figures, the number of thalassaemia children in Pakistan is not accurately available. It is estimated that the number of Thalassaemic children in the country has jumped to 100,000. In Karachi, thalassaemic children are estimated at over 5,000. In an effort to provide blood donation to the thalassaemic children on Monday, a group of laborers donated 100 pints of blood. The collecting of blood was made during a two-day blood donating camp established by KITCC at SITE. “We also expect parents to guide their adult children to donate blood for the noble cause.” On the other hand, the Thalassaemia Federation of Pakistan has also linked the factor behind less donations with the prevailing cold weather. “Yes it could be a factor even in Karachi, which is otherwise well-known for volunteer blood donation. Like in Quetta where last week few Thalassaemia Care Centers were suspended because of weather,” said Moinduudn Haider.