Doctors call on healthy individuals to donate blood regularly

In observance of National Blood Donors Month, a doctor on Wednesday encouraged healthy individuals to donate blood regularly, saying that it benefits both patients and the donors themselves.

In a Kapihan forum organized by the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday, Blood Technical Services Division Chief Dr. Ma. Concepcion T. Isberto said the celebration of World Blood Donor Day last month highlights the critical role of voluntary non-remunerated regular blood donors to achieve universal access to safe blood products.

"It focuses on patients requiring lifelong transfusion support, ito po' yung may [those with] leukemia, cancer, they actually need a regular basis of blood transfusion," Isberto said.

“We encourage healthy individuals to donate blood on a regular basis—hindi po yung 'nag-donate ako ngayon, hindi ko na po ito susundan' [not 'I donated now, and won't do it again']. We want them to donate on a regular basis as often as they can. Ito po ‘yung mga donor na mga nakapagbibigay ng safe kind ng dugo [These are the donors who can give the safe kind of blood]. So they can transform the quality of life for transfusion-dependent patients and help build a secure blood supply in different parts of the world," she added.

The National Blood Bank Network System (NBBNetS) currently has 579,479 blood donors as of July 11, 2023. Most of them are male and in the 25 to 44 age range.

As of June 2023, NBBNetS has also obtained 627 apheresis donors and 2,881 apheresis collections. Apheresis is a procedure by which the blood is collected, components such as platelets or white blood cells are taken out, and the rest is returned to the donor.

A blood donor must have the following qualifications:

• be 16 to 65 years old
• be at least 110 pounds (50 kg)
• be generally in good health
• have systolic and diastolic blood pressure within normal limits
• have hemoglobin levels of 125-175 g/L (female) and 135- 185 g/L (male)

Donors must have eaten a well-balanced meal within four hours before donation, and intervals between blood donations should be not less than three months.

Isberto also said that blood donation includes a free physical examination covering health screening, blood pressure check, and testing for transmissible infections, with counseling if found positive.

The doctor also listed some benefits of donating blood:

• Promotes weight loss
• Reduces blood cholesterol
• Maintains a healthy heart
• Improves emotional well-being
• Stimulates blood cell production
• Maintains optimal iron levels

Meanwhile, Isberto said the agency and other partner agencies, such as the Philippine Red Cross and regional partners, also hold several blood drives.

She added that although the Philippines holds enough bloodstock, they must continuously replenish.

“Hindi man natin alam kung kanino mapupunta yung dugo na ating ibibigay pero rest assured po na ‘yung dugo po na ibinigay ng ating mga blood donors ay nakapagdugtong ng buhay ng ibang tao,” Isberto said.

(We don't know who will receive what we donate, but rest assured that the blood donated by our blood donors has prolonged other people's lives.)

"All of us, blood donors, really play an important role in giving a valuable gift of blood," she added. — BM, GMA Integrated News