The Director of the Blood Transfusion Services Department, Dr. Reem Al-Radwan, confirmed the resumption of the blood donation branch at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, one of the eight branches recently opened, as part of the department’s strategic plan to expand services and increase the general stock of blood. Al-Radwan told Al-Anbaa that the branch contains six beds, which totals to 96 beds in all branches.
Al-Rawdan said that the branch receives donors during official working hours, from Sunday to Thursday, from 7:30 am to 8:30 pm, to serve those affiliated with the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Health District. The official explained that the said branch was opened in December 2018, but was suspended when the entire hospital was allocated for the treatment of infected coronavirus cases during the pandemic. Due to the stability of the situation and the management’s keenness to develop blood transfusion services, the branch has been restarted, which would contribute to increasing the daily donations of blood supply by 6 percent, in addition to relieving pressure on the main bank, as well as saving the effort and time of auditors.
Al-Rawdan revealed that an equivalent of 88,000 blood bags were collected in 2022 in the Central Blood Bank and its affiliated branches using the latest international technologies, indicating that there is a permanent need for blood donors to contribute to saving patients’ lives.