RIYADH: The Ministry of Health has enough stock of blood in its banks to meet the needs of nearly five million pilgrims, Ibrahim Al-Omar, director general of the Blood Bank and Laboratories at the ministry told newsmen here yesterday.
Al-Omar said the ministry does not import blood from abroad. The blood bank gets its supply from local donors who include both Saudis and expatriates.
He pointed out that more than 400,000 people donate blood in the Kingdom annually. To encourage the practice, those who have donated blood more than 50 times are awarded King Abdul Aziz Medal by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
He said that Saudi Arabia is one of the safest countries in the world in terms of blood storage and transfusion because all the 173 blood banks nationwide are dependant on local donations that are subject to strict screening.
He said blood donors are carefully screened by the health officials prior to their donation.
