DOH appeals for blood donation from populace

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health calls on communities and organizations to donate at least one percent blood from the latter’s total population.

Dr. Reynette Ligaray of the DOH Blood Bank said that the campaign now is to let all communities, organizations, businesses and other groups donate even “just one percent of blood of the total number of their members.”

“In every community of 500, only one percent of that is needed in order to answer the daily demand of blood. If you donate more than five, then you are already donating for another community,” Ligaray said.

She also said that they have been receiving calls from interested parties but still feel the need to reach out further and farther.

Ligaray and her team were in Consolacion yesterday where the mother chapter of the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood, Inc. was conducting a blood donation campaign.

Its president, Randi Delima, said that they had, so far, contributed 15 bags of 450 ml. of blood for its members.

Most of their members were not able to show up yesterday because of bad weather.

He also said that they are aiming to donate 1,000 bags of blood, at most, to the DOH in the name of social responsibility.

Further, he said that the need for blood is one of the crucial concerns especially of the indigents who are inflicted with life threatening ailments.

Jimmy Collier, program coordinator, said that they are also asking DOH to have a profiling of all the blood types of their members so that it will be easier to track them down once a patient approaches them for assistance.

He said they will be having blood letting campaigns in the other chapters all over the province.

PGBI has over 1,000 members in the entire Cebu.

Other than blood letting, a medical mission is also to be conducted by the organization later this year.

PGBI is founded by Police Supt. Virgilio Bagasala. — Ferliza C. Contratista/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)