THE University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed) held an in-house blood donation drive on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, to secure blood supply for patients injured in the recent earthquake.
According to assistant medical director Dr. Nina Angela Hilario Darcera, the activity was intentionally kept internal, involving only UCMed staff and affiliates since the hospital needed only a limited supply of blood.
“We didn’t plan on publicizing it because it’s just an internal event. We only need around 60 bags of blood, so there was no need for a public call,” Darcera explained.
A total of 27 patients from northern Cebu, the quake’s ground zero, were admitted to UCMed. Of these, seven have been discharged, while 20 remain admitted, most of them with orthopedic injuries.
“Some of these cases involve low hemoglobin levels and anemia due to multiple injuries. Before undergoing surgery, they will need blood transfusions and in some cases, even during operations,” Darcera said.
The blood drive started at 3 p.m. In just about an hour later, at 4 p.m., the hospital had already collected 30 bags. Darcera said she was confident that UCMed would reach its target of 60 bags before 6 p.m.
The collected blood will be stored and used depending on the transfusion requirements of the admitted patients. She noted that unlike the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, which called on the public for blood donations and received an overwhelming response, UCMed opted for a smaller, controlled drive to meet its specific needs.
The earthquake, described by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology, as “the strongest tremor ever recorded in Cebu,” caused houses and buildings to collapse, killing more than 60 people, most of whom resided in Bogo City, which was several kilometers from the epicenter. / ABC