BLOOD PACT. Various stakeholders in Benguet have signed a memorandum of agreement with Red Cross-Benguet on Wednesday, supporting the drive to collect more blood. From left to right are Red Cross-Benguet Board of Director, Susan Atayoc, a representative of Atok municipality and Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan. (PNA photo by Rithan Haize Dullona, OJT)
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet-- To boost its blood supply in storage, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC)-Benguet on Wednesday called on the municipal governments to regularly conduct bloodletting activities and urge the public to donate blood.
“We are just so blessed that there is available blood. It would be frightening if there's no supply and that is what we want to address. That's why we signed a MOA [memorandum of agreement]," PRC-Benguet Chapter administrator Oscar Paris said, during the MOA signing with the provincial and 13 municipal government units, private hospitals, and academic institutions in the province.
Paris said blood is regularly needed by patients undergoing dialysis aside from cancer patients and victims of accidents or emergencies including advanced stage dengue patients.
"In average we need 400 donors per month. We need 100 donors in a week and we need partners [to help provide the needed supply], at least two to three agencies per week [that will conduct blood donation activities],” Paris said.
Paris said to be able to meet the demand for blood, the PRC hopes to do a regular blood donation activity and be able to get the needed resource to save lives.
“The MOA holds conditions and agreement between PRC-Benguet and its partners for their mutual coordination in conducting mobile blood donations at scheduled dates and places," he said.
The MOA also provides for the responsibility of each partner in promoting and disseminating information to generate support and participation among its members and the public in general.
Paris said in cases where Benguet Red Cross does not have the needed blood, patients are referred to the other Red Cross chapters like in Baguio and the adjacent provinces of La Union and Pangasinan.
He said there are months when the supply is enough-- in June and July when the country observes the “Blood Donors” month, making the number of blood donors high and consistent.
The months of November to January, are lean months as few come for blood donation because of parties, breaks, and vacations.
Blood vital to dengue, renal patients
Dengue and other renal disease patients go to the Red Cross for whole blood, fresh whole blood and platelet concentrate.
Paris said platelets are produced by extracting the component from whole blood.
He said PRC-Benguet has recently acquired a machine used in extracting platelet concentrate, allowing them to supply the specialized supply aside from whole blood.
Dr. Jocelyn Legaspi, Rural Health Physician of the Provincial Health Office, said the goal is to at least get 1 percent of the population to donate blood.
Benguet currently has 446,224 and they hope to get 4,462 people to give a little of their blood at least every three months.
“So far we have .5%, we hope that at least 1 percent of the entire population[ would donate],” Paris said.
Benguet has 13 municipalities, only two- Bokod and Kapangan have been able to consistently get 1 percent of the population to donate blood. (With reports from Rithan Haize Dullona, OJT/PNA)
