Dubai: The Dubai Thalassaemia Centre received 230 litres of blood following an annual donation drive organised by Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower). More than 300 volunteers from Empower donated blood.
One in 12 people in the Emirati population in the UAE carries the thalassaemia gene and those suffering from thalassemia major require regular blood transfusions. So one cannot but emphasise the need for UAE residents to donate healthy blood to help thalassaemia patients.
Thalassaemia is a genetic blood disorder characterised by an increased concentration of hydrogen ions in the blood but can easily be prevented with a simple and inexpensive blood test. It is a genetic disorder.
“Globally, there is a serious shortage of voluntary blood donations, which is a serious concern for all organisations that deal with issues related to public health. Hosting an event where people can not only donate blood, but interact with thalassaemia patients is a good way to educate people about this disorder and also instils a spirit of volunteerism among the general public,” said Hussain Al Fardan, Director, Environmental Centre for Arab Towns.
“People with serious cases of thalassaemia are dependent on routine blood transfusions, so hosting a blood donation drive not only benefits patients but also educates the public by raising awareness of this condition,” said Ahmad Bin Shafar, Chief Executive Officer, Empower. “Over the last seven years, we have come into contact with many bright, engaging and young thalassaemia patients, so we feel that it is our duty to make this small but significant contribution,” he added.
Children from the Thalassaemia Centre also enjoyed a day of activities as part of the campaign, which included performances from a magician, clown and a raffle draw at Empower’s headquarters in Al Hudaiba Awards building.
Empower’s blood donation drive, now its seventh edition, was held in collaboration with Dubai Municipality, Environmental Centre for Arab Towns, Dubai Blood Donation Centre, Dubai Health Authority and The Arab Towns Organisation.
