The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Baguio City is urging eligible individuals to continue donating blood to save lives including in this time of pandemic
Jenelyn Tere, donor recruitment officer of Red Cross-Baguio, said people who regularly need blood are those who have kidney ailment and are undergoing dialysis, those who have leukemia, those with anemia, and those who will undergo an operation.
She said there are instances when other patients need to be infused with fresh blood due to a medical condition.
Tere said during the pandemic, walk-in donors have become scarce, thus depleting the available supply of blood.
“In a day, there are about five to 20 walk-in donors. They come for donation because they were asked by a patient to donate for his needs,” Tere said.
There are instances when a patient needs more than one bag of fresh blood, thus the need to bring more walk-in donors to meet the requirement of a relative at the hospital. “So that we can assure that the blood supply here in Baguio is enough. If someone needs blood, they bring donors so they can replace the blood they received from the blood bank for others to avail of it,” Tere said.
She said they cannot just rely on the available supply as this may easily deplete, so the replacement policy is being applied.
“Kung aasa lang tayo sa stock natin, karamihan doon baka hindi natin ma-serve,” she said.
She said before the pandemic, there were blood donors from mass blood donation activities of schools, organizations, groups, and companies who come in at least three or four times a year or every three months.
She clarified PRC does not sell blood.
“What is paid by the client is screening fee to make sure that what they get for their sick relatives is not contaminated,” Tere said.
Tere assured blood released by the PRC for transfusion is safe and clean.
“The blood will undergo screening for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, malaria, syphilis, and HIV before it can be released to the hospitals,” she said. These illnesses are infections that can be transmitted through blood. – PNA
