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Call to set up modern blood transfusion centre

SHARJAH — Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qutami, Minister of Health, has underlined the need to set up a centralised and high standard blood transfusion centre in the country.

“The blood transfusion centre will be run by the Ministry of Health and the four medical districts will also make use of it. Laboratories will also be located close to this centre,” he said at the Blood Transfusion and Research Services Centre in Sharjah yesterday.

It was announced at the centre that the UAE was the first Arab country to become part of the Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW).

“More blood transfusion centres are on the cards as part of the ministry’s plans to change its way of working to fulfil the needs of the population. Also, there is a need for more bone marrow transfer facilities in the country," said Al Qutami while speaking to Khaleej Times. “The UAE has taken the first step, and this is the beginning of a new start,” he added.

Dr Amin Hussain Al Amiri, Director of the Blood Transfusion and Research Centre, while giving a presentation on becoming part of the international registry said, “The UAE is among the first 10 countries in the world that started online leuco-depleted blood for all patients since 2001. Earlier, only five patients could be treated.”