survivors of the October 8, 2005, earthquake in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and northern areas of Pakistan risk deadly diseases such as hiv / aids, hepatitis B, cerebral malaria and syphilis. Chances of unscreened blood transfusions are rife. Farhana Memon, program manager and secretary, Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (sbta) said, "There are about 3,000 blood banks in Pakistan but most of them are unregistered and lack a pathologist. There are also no by-laws for safe blood transfusion.'

"The blood supply in Pakistan is 1.5 million units per annum against an annual demand of 4.5 million units. The earthquake has increased this demand,' said Tahir S Shamsi, consultant haematologist and transplant physician at Bismillah Taqi Hospital, Karachi. He was speaking from earthquake-affected area where scores of physicians and surgeons are involved in relief work.

"We have sent screening kits to teams in Karachi but need refrigerated vans which are only available with Hussaini Blood Bank and Red Crescent Society,' Memon said. Blood transfusion ethics demand that blood be properly screened and stored at 5