“In addition to women giving birth, there are many other patients who need large amounts of blood such as those suffering from leukemia and those who undergo chemotherapy, as bone marrow stops producing blood for a few months,” said Al-Humaidan, adding that kidney, heart transplant and open-heart patients all require blood transfusions.
As per the directives of the Ministry of Health and coinciding with World Blood Donor Day, which is on Monday, blood donors in the Kingdom are to be honored and rewarded, said Al-Humaidan. World Blood Donor Day, the slogan of which this year is “New Blood for the World,” comes during desperate times, said Al-Humaidan, as many countries, including the US and the UK, are losing donors.
“New viruses, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and other diseases are making American blood banks set strict regulations governing the receiving of blood from donors,” said Al-Humaidan, adding that the obsession to examine blood in the interests of patients’ safety is limiting the amount of people donating blood.
She, however, added that it is essential to balance the safety of patients and the need for blood when following regulations as even regular patients are being examined thoroughly for their own safety.
Al-Humaidan said honoring donors gives an incentive for others to follow suit. Along with regular donors, the families of patients are also encouraged to donate blood. “This is a kind of comprehensive awareness campaign to attract more donors,” said Al-Humaidan, adding that there are campaigns throughout the year encouraging people through text messages, the Internet and leaflets to donate blood.
She also said that blood banks need a continuous source of blood and that the best way to receive blood donations is by raising awareness at schools, colleges and universities; among the families of existing patients; and through intense awareness campaigns.
“In some countries, donors bring their children along. This is not to make them donate blood as they cannot do so until they are 17; this is to introduce them to the idea of donating blood at an early age,” she said.
Mohammad Al-Bughdadi, the organizer of a Facebook campaign set up to encourage people to donate blood, agrees with Al-Humaidan, saying awareness campaigns should be launched using different media channels. “We should exploit key figures and role models to promote the idea of donating blood. This is necessary to save lives,” said Al-Bughdadi.
Although Al-Bughdadi believes the government should play a role in enhancing awareness about blood donation, he does not approve of forcing people to do so. “One might donate out of embarrassment even if he is aware that he has some kind of disease,” he said, adding that King Faisal Hospital in Jeddah, for example, encourages blood donation and gives donors assurances that their details will be kept confidential.
Al-Bughdadi’s Facebook campaign has attracted over 1,000 members; 100 of whom have donated blood or attempted to do so. Al-Bughdadi said he hopes this number will increase. “I have spread the idea among my friends who have, in turn, done the same.”
