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.