Filipinos urged to be walk-in blood donors
Filipinos were urged by the Department of Health (DOH) to become walk-in blood donors to make sure that there is an adequate and safe supply of blood in the country.
Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial said in that way they will be able to help the agency in achieving one of the 12 legacies of the Philippine Health Agenda.
“One can donate blood by walking in to the nearest blood service facility such as blood centers, hospital blood banks or blood collecting units. Selected hospital-based blood service facilities around the country are open 24 hours a day and seven days a week to assist volunteer donors who may walk in these facilities to donate blood, while other facilities are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Ubial urged.
According to Ubial, providing timely access through maintaining a pool of regular, voluntary, and unpaid blood donors to create an adequate and reliable supply of safe blood for all is vital.
“Replacement donors are a thing of the past, and blood donors should be voluntary,” she said.
“Donating blood and blood derived products is offering an unconditional gift of life to a mother who is delivering her baby, a son who has severe loss of blood due to an accident, a brother suffering from leukemia, a child with hemophilia or a husband who needs a kidney transplant,” she added.
Those who may donate blood are the ones in good health; aged between 16 to 65 years old (16 and 17 years old need parents’ consent); weighing at least 110 pounds; have blood pressure between a systolic of 90-160 mmHg and a diastolic of 60-100 mmHg; and have passed the physical and health history assessments.
Eligible donors are encouraged to give blood every three months in order to allow the body to restore its iron stock.
“We enjoin all potential donors to visit our Blood Service Facilities to Give Blood, to Give Now, and to Give Often,” Ubial stated.
On Oct. 2, 2017, the DOH will launch Blood Olympics in generating greater involvement of people in voluntary blood donation. This initiative is seen to sustain the effort of DOH, the Philippine Red Cross, and the Philippine Blood Coordinating Council in pushing volunteerism in blood donation.