Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) – The Philippine Red Cross on Monday said blood supply in the country remains stable amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
PRC Chairman Sen. Richard Gordon made the assurance in celebration of World Blood Donor Day.
“Yung blood supply, as far as we’re concerned sa Red Cross, hindi namin pinababayaan na magkulang tayo, (We’re making sure not to have an inadequate blood supply, as far as we’re concerned in Red Cross,)” Gordon told CNN Philippines’ Newsroom Ngayon.
Gordon was responding to a separate statement of Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who raised the alarm over dwindling blood donations as hospitals start to catch up on various medical procedures postponed due to COVID-19 response.
Hontiveros appealed for the immediate restocking of the national blood supply to meet the backlog of complex medical conditions that had to be moved, waitlisted, or canceled due to the pandemic.
“Bukod sa mga nagpapagaling dahil sa COVID, nangangailangan din ng donated plasma ang mga pasyenteng ooperahan, nangangailangan ng organ transplant, mga may cancer, may anemia, atbp. Sana ay mapagbigyan natin sila dahil matagal na rin silang naghihintay ng atensyong medical,” Hontiveros said.
[Translation: Aside from those who are recovering from COVID-19, other people need donated plasma like patients due for a medical operation, those undergoing organ transplant, patients with cancer, anemia, and others. I hope we can grant their request because they also need medical attention.]
Gordon also guaranteed that PRC national chapters are responsive in attending to those who need blood and will immediately call the donee upon confirmation of the blood’s availability. He added the PRC has the necessary equipment for proper blood storage.
“Ito’y paghikayat sa mga tao na dapat tumulong sa kapwa. Ang best na tulong ay ibibigay mo a part of your body para mabuhay ang isang tao. This should mean, kailangang nag-iimbak tayo sa blood bank ng mga ospital ng gobyerno at pribado para hindi natataranta at nade-delay ang mga operation na kailangan,” said Gordon.
[Translation: The World Blood Donor Day entices people to help each other. The best help is to give a part of your body to let a person live. This should mean, we should be storing in blood bank in private and government hospitals so that we will not be rattled and medical operations will not be delayed.]
