ISLAMABAD, Mar 06 (APP):The Japan government on Friday announced a US $65,470 grant (around Rs18 million) for the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to strengthen blood donation services in the federal capital, aiming to refurbish a blood donation vehicle to expand outreach, increase blood collection and support thousands of patients requiring life saving transfusions in Islamabad and surrounding areas. The grant agreement was signed at the Embassy of Japan in …
Japan grant US$ 65,470 to PRCS for blood donation services
ISLAMABAD, Mar 06 (APP):The Japan government on Friday announced a US $65,470 grant (around Rs18 million) for the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to strengthen blood donation services in the federal capital, aiming to refurbish a blood donation vehicle to expand outreach, increase blood collection and support thousands of patients requiring life saving transfusions in Islamabad and surrounding areas.
The grant agreement was signed at the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan between Akamatsu Shuichi, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, and representatives of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) programme.
The initiative, titled “The Project for the Refurbishment of Second hand Blood Donation Vehicle for the Pakistan Red Crescent Society Regional Blood Donation Center,” is designed to strengthen the operational capacity of PRCS’s Regional Blood Donation Centre to collect and supply safe blood for vulnerable patients and emergency cases.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Japanese Ambassador Akamatsu said protecting each individual life is central to Japan’s human security approach, noting that ensuring sufficient blood stocks is directly linked to saving lives and improving access to medical treatment.
He reaffirmed that Japan, as a long-standing partner of Pakistan, would continue supporting capable local organisations through grassroots grant assistance to strengthen human security and humanitarian services across the country.
Established in 1947, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society operates nationwide humanitarian programmes focusing on disaster management, healthcare and community services. Its Islamabad blood donation centre relies entirely on voluntary non remunerated donors and has steadily increased annual blood collection over the past decade, though limited outreach capacity has hindered its ability to meet rising demand.
Under the project, PRCS will procure a refurbished blood donation vehicle from Japan, enabling the organisation to organise mobile blood drives at universities, workplaces, mosques and public spaces across the capital region.
The initiative is expected to boost blood collection capacity by nearly 30 per cent, helping provide transfusions to an estimated 12,000 patients, including those suffering from thalassemia, haemophilia and cancer, as well as victims of road accidents.
