THE world celebrated World Blood Donors’ Day recently, and Sen. Richard J. Gordon had this urgent appeal to hospitals nationwide: provide patients with the blood needed first before requiring them to bring in donors to replace the blood units to be used.
Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), said that by requiring patients, particularly those in critical conditions, to produce donors first before they are provided with the required blood, defeats the purpose of closing down the commercial blood banks.
“My point in appealing to hospitals is this: we closed down those who are paying donors and then are selling blood. But if a hospital wants to have its own blood bank, but, before giving blood requires a patient to first look for donors to replace their blood—I think that’s wrong,” the senator said in a mix of English and Filipino at a press conference.
He appealed to media to help spread the word among hospitals about the proper, humanitarian practice for providing blood banking services.
Gordon also assured the public that the PRC aims to open up more blood banks and blood centers for accessibility of blood supply, adding that the PRC and the Department of Health are ensuring that sure and safe blood will be available for all, even in the most vulnerable communities in the rural areas in the country.
Please donate blood
The PRC chairman also stressed the importance of donating blood, saying that blood donors are everyday heroes because the blood they donate can save lives.
“That is why it is so important on Blood Donors’ Day, that we make sure that there is safe blood for everybody, that we know the rules and we’re going to make sure that we really are good Samaritans when it comes to saving lives. Mahalaga ang ating mga blood donors. Everyone should try and encourage everyone to donate blood dahil araw-araw ay libu-libong tao ang nangangailangan ng dugo sa buong bansa. Everyday should be World Blood Donor’s Day,” he said.
Theme
This year’s WBDD celebration carries the theme “Safe Blood for All,” a call to expand access to safe and quality blood and the crucial role of voluntary blood donation in the Universal Health Care.
“In PRC, we aim to create more blood banks and blood centers for accessibility of blood supply. We want to reach the most vulnerable communities in the rural areas in our country to ensure that there is safe blood for all,” Gordon said in a press conference on June 10.
The humanitarian organization currently has 93 blood service facilities, including 27 blood centers,66 blood collecting units/blood stations , and 11 apheresis centers.
This year, PRC is eyeing new blood facilities in Marikina City, San Carlos in Pangasinan, San Rafael, San Jose del Monte and Bocaue in Bulacan, Imus and Bacoor in Cavite, Sorsogon, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Batanes, Coron Palawan, Malay Aklan, Biliran Eastern Samar, Basilan, and Taw-Tawi.
Image credits: Phil. Red Cross
1 comment
Giving blood is really important