JEDDAH, 19 August 2004 — Efforts are under way to establish about 20 blood banks under the National Charitable Society for Blood, according to Subhi Batterjee, chairman of the society’s board of directors. He said the first of these banks would be opened in Jeddah within a few months.
The Jeddah-based organization aims to provide blood and its derivatives free of charge to all patients in government as well as private hospitals and other health institutions following international standards.
“The society was established with the approval of the Council of Ministers and its follows the regulations related to charitable organizations,” he said, adding that its services will cover the entire Makkah region.
Batterjee called upon philanthropists to support the humanitarian project. “Everybody is requested to participate in our effort to establish 20 high-class blood banks by 2020,” he said.
He said the charity would cooperate with technical agencies at the Health Ministry to improve blood transfusion service and enhance public awareness on the importance of blood donation.
The society also plans to hold charity fairs to introduce the organization. The society’s main blood bank in Jeddah’s Zahraa district is estimated to cost SR15 million.
The society intends to provide training to workers at blood banks to help them extend quality service. “We’ll also carry out blood-related research,” Al-Madinah daily quoted Batterjee as saying.
