GIVE LIFE -- The Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital in Abatan, Bauko, Mountain Province lauds the 13 blood donation support groups from the provinces of Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Abra that produced 615 blood units in 2018, in support of the Department of Health’s campaign of providing safe and sufficient blood supply, all coming from voluntary blood donors by 2020. -- Coney Nibaten

The Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital (LHMRH) in Abatan, Bauko, Mountain Province acknowledges the significant contribution of 13 blood donation support groups from different Cordillera and nearby provinces.

The support groups from Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Abra produced a total of 615 blood units for 2018.

“The Department of Health directed all hospitals to provide safe and sufficient blood supply from 100 percent voluntary blood donors by 2020, and we sincerely appreciate our supporters sponsoring mobile blood donation drives so that by then the LHMRH and concerned municipalities of Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Abra shall be compliant to the directive,” said LHMRH Medical Center Chief Eduardo B. Calpito.

The 615 blood units collected from 18 mobile blood donation drives in 2018 almost tripled the collection of 2017, which was 209 blood units from eight mobile blood donation drives.

The donation drives were facilitated by the Mountain Province Blood Services Facilities Network composed of medical staff from the provincial, municipal, and rural health units as well as hospitals in Mountain Province.

The blood support groups include the local government units of Sabangan, Sagada, Bontoc, Bauko, and Barlig in Mountain Province; Cervantes, and Quirino, in Ilocos Sur; Tubo, Abra; Tinoc, Ifugao; Bugnay, Kalinga; and the Ilocos Sur District Hospital, Mountain Province State Polytechnic College, and Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Sabangan.

The top three units with the most number of blood contributions by its support groups are the LGUs of Cervantes, Quirino, and Sagada with 151 blood units, 105 blood units, and 89 blood units collected, respectively.

From the 615 blood units, 287 are blood type O positive, 163 are blood type B positive, 132 are blood type A positive, 32 are blood type AB positive, and one blood type O negative.

Meanwhile, eight memoranda of agreement entered into by LHMRH and support groups were enforced to encourage more people to commit to the mobile blood donation program. Ten more MOAs in the different LGUs are on the process of completion.

These agreements shall make possible the provision of enough blood supply without requiring the patients to replace blood units used anymore.

LHMRH is a 100-bed level 2 hospital that serves patients and clients from the provinces of Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Abra.