ILOILO – Stocks of blood at the Western Visayas Regional Blood Center are dwindling to critical levels, according to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Iloilo Chapter. The coronavirus disease pandemic has derailed bloodletting activities.
“Supposedly ang aton buffer stock is 50 blood units or bags per blood type. That’ our baseline. Pag nagnubo dira, critical na sia,” said Katherine Lego, officer-in-charge of PRC Iloilo Chapter’s blood center.
Yesterday was World Blood Donor Day.
Lego declined to disclose the exact volume of buffer stocks the center has at the moment but said that from January to May this year, PRC-Iloilo collected 9,502 units or bags of blood – higher than the 8,879 units collected in the same period last year.
Here’s the breakdown of the units collected this year: January – 1,703 bags, February – 1,920, March – 2,327, April – 1,841, and May – 1,711.
Lego cited the “joint efforts of all local chief executives (LCEs), barangays officials and the community in donating blood.”
However, she lamented that mobility restrictions due to Iloilo City’s being under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) have resulted to the cancellation of several bloodletting activities.
This month alone, nine of the 16 scheduled mobile blood donations (MBDs) were called off.
“So nabatyagan ta gid ang pag-decrease sang aton blood supply,” added Lego. “Ang aton blood need is a constant… ara man kita sa normal times or subong nga ara kita sa pandemic.”
According to Lego, the blood center is supplying 26 hospitals (public and private) in the city and province of Iloilo every day.
Also, the blood center is accommodating walk-ins, with 50 to 70 persons requesting blood units each day.
“For each blood request, indi lang isa ang minimum or one bag per patient. There are times nga one patient needs three or five bags. So, just imagine kon mag-50 to 70 blood requests ang gina-receive naton (daily),” Lego stressed.
If the need of blood is not urgent, she suggested that patients bring in a blood donor to their center.
“Dapat aton supply always continuous, ma-strategize lang ‘ta because ara kita sa pandemic. But this pandemic will not stop us from collecting blood from our communities,” said Lego.
One strategy the PRC-Iloilo is looking into is identifying COVID-free areas and appeal for blood donations there through local government units (LGUs).
“This strategy needs the cooperation of barangay officials and LGUs,” said Lego.
BLOOD DONATION
Who are qualified to donate blood?
According to Lego, those 18 to 60 year olds can.
Those aging 16 to 17 years old may also donate, provided they have their parents’ consent. However, with the ongoing quarantine restrictions, Lego said it is better for these minors to just stay home.
No alcohol intake the night prior to donating blood, Lego stressed. “Dapat nakatulog at least six hours, nakakaon and in good condition.”
The donor should also disclose if he/she has received a vaccine against COVID-19 as those inoculated are prohibited to donate blood 28 days after their full vaccination (two doses).
PRC-Iloilo is enjoining not only LGUs but government and non-government agencies, private companies and the public to donate blood.
“We encourage our non-government partners bisan 15 volunteers daily maka-support man ang non-government agencies or private companies… Just to augment kay ti kon i-depend lang sa LGUs daw indi gid masarangan because sang COVID-19 situation,” Lego said./PN
