Donors give more units this year

WITH people becoming aware of the benefits of donating blood, the collection from the 2019 World Blood Donor Day event Friday, June 7, 2019, increased by 319 percent from last year.

Dr. Charmaine Florita, of the Department of Health (DOH) 7 subnational blood center, said they were able to triple the number of successful donors, from 47 in year 2018 to 197 this year. Each donor gave 450 ml of blood equivalent to one unit.

“Of the 308 total recruits, we have 197 successful donors. This is because we were able to relay better our advocacy to the people,” she said.

Dr. Jera Armendarez, National Voluntary Blood Donation Program coordinator, said donating blood is also good for the donor as it lowers the risk of a heart attack.

The collected blood will be divided among the participating blood service facilities such as hospitals.

“They will be the ones to process and screen the blood units they get,” she said.

Donors were screened for transfusion transmissible infection such as the human immunodeficiency virus, Hepatitis B and C, malaria and syphillis.

Maj. Abel Potutan, Armed Forces central command information officer, said he appreciates this initiative. Of the number of donors, 92 were from the Armed Forces. (WBS)