DOH: "We did not close Regional Blood Coordinating Council"

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Blood Center (RBC) operated by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development-Central Visayas yesterday clarified that they did not issue any closure order for the Regional Blood Coordinating Council (RBCC).

RBC Chief Reynette Christine Ligaray clarified that it was voluntary on the part of the RBCC in not renewing its memorandum of agreement with the health department.

“DOH-Central Visayas did not issue any closure order,” Ligaray said.

The RBCC, after 19 years of operation, ceased to operate last July 1.

RBCC is a non-profit organization operating since 1989. It is composed of volunteers, doctors and retired medical professionals who joined hands in providing safe and affordable blood for patients.

RBCC acting president Romeo Tapayan said that under the administrative order issued by DOH, it was declared a national policy that a local blood council is no longer allowed to set up a blood service facility.

Under the said order, a local blood council such as RBCC will now be in-charge for advocacies and public awareness, which means they could no longer collect and screen blood.

Ligaray said that it has been the function of RBC to collect and screen blood and even if RBCC no longer do this, their function will still continue.

Tapayan said that from 1998 up to 2009, when the RBCC was under the leadership of Dr. Jovita Ceniza, it was able to collect 70,250 bags of blood which helped more or less 70,000 patients.

Tapayan said ten percent of the total blood bags that they were able to collect were given to indigent patients for free.

Tapayan said that the government did not spend even a single centavo for their operation and they were merely relying on funding coming from different foundations. Their operating cost per month was between P180,000 to P200,000 including the salaries of seven personnel. — THE FREEMAN