Monday, February 25, 2008 Editorial: Heart-to-heart appeal
VALENTINE’S DAY being still in vogue, the Department of Health (DOH) 7 chose to launch the National Voluntary Blood Services Program on this day to remind the public about something more elemental than romantic love: donating blood to save people’s lives.
According to Sun.Star Cebu’s Feb. 16 report by Jujemay G. Awit, program coordinator Dr. Juditha Tawatao has appealed to institutions and organizations to improve the declining trend in blood donations.
The same report quotes DOH 7 records, which show that “only three to four percent of Filipinos donate blood while 80 percent will require blood transfusion.”
A single blood donation can help as many as three people. DOH needs to collect 2,232 units of blood daily to meet the national annual requirement of 700,000 to 750,000 units. Comparing data in 2005 and 2007, donations dropped by 513 units last year, down from 8,770 to 8,257 units.
Having a ready, safe and adequate stock of blood is critical, especially with the increase of dengue cases in Cebu.
Red-hot youth
Appealing to youthful idealism, volunteerism and civic spirit, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) also entered into a public and private cooperation to encourage more youths to support the bloodletting goals.
Last Dec. 14, the PNRC entered a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities to establish a Red Cross Youth Council.
Patterned after the Red Cross 143, every Red Cross Youth Council will have a Red Cross youth adviser and 43 members. The council is envisioned to undergo disaster preparation training like first aid, basic life support, etc., as well as organizing community development programs.
But its primary function is to encourage more bloodletting for a cause. At St. Theresa’s College, Red Cross Youth volunteers have donated their blood and actively campaigned to clear common misconceptions among youths, such as donations cause anemia, the use of a large needle causes excruciating pain, and other baseless fears.
Donations are needed not only when a loved one is ailing but for leukemia patients, accident victims, dengue cases, victims of crime and other emergencies where an immediate, safe and adequate transfusion can save life.
Voluntary blood donors have been proven to have lower incidence of infections. Not only is regular blood donation safe and healthy for the donors, voluntary donors, unlike replacement donors, “blood merchants” who give their blood for a fee and commercial blood banks, are at lower risk of transmitting transfusion-related infections.
Clearing a bloody business
“Winning hearts and minds for voluntary blood donation is still the Holy Grail of any blood-service program,” notes Grace Roxas’ special report, “Fluid Management,” in www. medobserver.com.
The passage in 1994 of Republic Act 7719 (National Blood Services Act) mandated voluntary blood donations and the closure of commercial blood banks.
According to the same special report, government agencies are actively courting “pure” volunteers in schools, firms, institutions and private groups.
To develop a safe pool of donors, the government is emphasizing a healthy lifestyle. This means eating healthy, exercising regularly, avoiding harmful vices, and practicing safe sex.
In Cebu, blood bank facilities are the Regional Blood Center, the PNRC and the Regional Blood Coordinating Council, which, as a blood collecting unit, can collect but not test blood.
Through this form of bloodshed, youths and other volunteers can wear their hearts on their sleeve to show true love for their country.
