RIYADH, 21 January 2007 — The number of people awarded King Abdul Aziz Medal for blood donation has reached 20,060, according to Abdullah Zamil Al-Drees, deputy minister for laboratories and blood banks at the Ministry of Health. The medal is the top honor in the Kingdom and is given by the king to people who make significant contribution to the country.
“Sixty of them were honored for donating blood 50 times, while the rest were awarded the third grade of the medal for donating blood 10 times,” Al-Drees said.
Over 400,000 people donate blood in the Kingdom annually.
Al-Drees stressed that Saudi Arabia is one of the safest countries in blood storage and transfusion because all 173 blood banks nationwide are dependant on local donations that are subject to strict screening.
