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The Dubai Blood Donation Centre (DBDC) is trying to meet the high demand of blood and its units, especially O+ and O-ve blood groups, according to the head of the centre.
Dr Laila Al Shaer said on Tuesday that there was no shortage of blood but collections had dropped due to the extended holiday period during Ramadan and the ongoing summer break when people proceed on leave outside the UAE.
“We are urging people to donate not because of a shortage but because there are certain storage levels that we need to maintain at the centre for emergencies,” she explained.
On Monday, the centre, located in Latifa Hospital, collected at least 200 units of blood after it contacted registered donors but more of O+ and O-ve units are still needed on an urgent basis.
“Sometimes, one blood group is more in demand than the other, so I am hoping that donors registered with the centre can give us more of the O blood group,” she added.
Having a database of donors is particularly important for rare blood groups such as O-ve, said the head. “We have already contacted our registered donors and we have a good response,” she said.
“A person with this blood group can supply blood to all blood groups but an individual with this blood group can receive only O-ve blood,” explained Dr Laila.
Dr Laila said the centre had made arrangements for extra blood units before summer as a standard procedure that it follows.
“But when we have poly trauma cases where blood is needed urgently, pre-scheduled transfusions for thalassemia patients and is also required by private hospitals, then we need to fill up our stock continuously so that we do not run out of blood,” added Dr Laila.
The centre currently has 80,000 registered donors. However, not all of them are active. The DBDC, which was established in 1986, is the main provider of blood and blood products, which are supplied to Dubai Health Authority hospitals and more than 27 private hospitals in Dubai. It collects 50 per cent of the total blood collected in the UAE.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com
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