A total of 10,225 people donated blood, as part of the 7th edition of the “Dami Le Watani” blood donation campaign, of which 5,253 blood units were collected by the Dubai Blood Donation Centre, 4,100 were collected by SEHA-Abu Dhabi Health Services and 872 were collected by the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
The Dubai Health Authority’s, DHA, Blood Donation Centre announced the launch of the campaign for the year 2019 on 13th November, 2019, to encourage the community to donate blood and raise awareness about the importance of donating blood, as one blood unit can save up to three lives.
The campaign, which will continue until 16th December was introduced in 2012 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.
The Dubai Blood Donation Centre, which is under the Pathology & Genetics Department and Clinical Support Services and Nursing Sector, is the only blood donation centre in Dubai and provides around 50 percent of the total blood collected throughout the country.
As part of the campaign, the centre’s blood donation centre visited several entities to raise awareness about the importance of blood donation, including the Ministry of Defence, DEWA, Dubai Police, Dubai Executive Council, Dubai Municipality, the Red Crescent, DHA facilities, Nad Al Sheba Club, DP World and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory.
Dr. Hussain Al Samt, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical laboratories and Genetics, said that the Dubai Blood Donation Centre is committed to providing a safe and adequate supply of blood to all DHA hospitals and private hospitals in Dubai, to save the lives of patients who require blood transfusions by ensuring that the services provided are up to international standards.
Dr. Mai Raouf, Director of the Dubai Blood Donation Centre, added that there is a continuous demand for all blood types, as blood lasts for only 42 days. People can donate blood every eight weeks. Platelets, which can be donated up to 24 times a year, are also important to help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or those recovering from surgery and suffering from blood loss.
