Quezon City to set up blood donation booths in malls

MANILA, Philippines -  The Quezon City health department will set up blood donation booths in malls in the city to encourage more people to donate blood for patients with dengue and other high-risk illnesses.

City health officer Dr. Antonieta Inumerable said they are coordinating with SM’s North Edsa, Cubao and Fairview malls as well as at Trinoma and the Ever Gotesco mall.

She said the blood donations will go to the Philippine Blood Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City General Hospital and the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Project 4, which have registered the most number of dengue patients.

The city health department regularly conducts mass blood donation activities at the city hall and district health centers.

On orders of Mayor Herbert Bautista, the QC health department has been continuously conducting an anti-dengue information dissemination campaign in an effort to encourage city residents to participate in efforts to control dengue, which is transmitted by the day-biting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

The information campaign underscores the importance of maintaining cleanliness and sanitation in reducing the number of potential breeding grounds for the dengue-carrying mosquitoes, which lay eggs in stagnant water in old tires and roof gutters.