Call for blood donations

Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA) Dubai Blood Donation Centre stressed on the importance of blood donation, adding that while all blood types are needed, negative blood types are in greater demand due to their rarity. 

Dr Mai Raouf, Director of the Dubai Blood Donation Centre, revealed that only 0.6 per cent of the UAE population are AB negative, 1.8 per cent are B negative, 2.4 per cent are A negative, 4 per cent are O negative. Meanwhile, the O positive blood types are most common and are found in 38.6 per cent of the population. 

She explained that there is a continuous demand for all blood types as blood lasts for only 42 days and so donors are always needed to come forward to replenish these stocks. 

Dr Raouf added that people can donate blood every eight weeks, with each donation potentially saving up to three lives. Platelets, which can be donated up to 24 times a year, are also important to help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or those recovering from surgery who have suffered bleeding disorders. 

The Dubai Blood Donation Centre received 33,190 blood donors in the first half of 2018.

Dr Raouf added that 27,401 blood units and 2,657 platelets were collected through 423 blood donation campaigns in the first half of this year. 

She said that the centre — which is the only blood donation centre in Dubai — provides around 50 per cent of the total blood collected throughout the country.

“The centre is committed to providing a safe and adequate supply of blood to all DHA hospitals and private hospitals in Dubai, to save the lives of patients who require blood transfusions using the latest technologies and the best practices that aim to enhance the safety of blood transfusion,” said Dr Raouf. She said that last year, the centre received 64,666 blood donators and collected 50,601 blood units and 5,828 blood platelets in 676 campaigns.

Dr Raouf said 38 per cent of the blood collected was supplied to the Thalassemia Centre, 16 per cent to Dubai Hospital, 14 per cent to Rashid Hospital, 8 per cent to Latifa Hospital, 3 per cent to Hatta Hospital and 21 per cent to private sector hospitals. 

“The centre also takes part in regular campaigns to collect blood. In fact, DHA received 10,070 blood donors for the annual Dami Le Watani [My blood is for my country] national campaign, since it was launched in 2012. We aim to provide excellent services to achieve customer satisfaction and exceed the level of their expectations. Currently, the customer satisfaction rate has reached 99.5 per cent,” she added. 

She revealed said that the Dubai Blood Donation Centre, which has an international accreditation from the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) since 2012, has taken a number of steps to provide smart services that ease the customer’s journey — among them is the DAMMI App, which makes it easier to find the time and place to make blood donations in Dubai. 

Dr Raouf said the app allows blood donors to answer donation eligibility questionnaire and read pre-donation educational material through their mobile phones before they come to the donation centre. 

The application will allow the public to register their details to be contacted during emergencies and disasters to donate blood. This will support the blood services in having wide database for blood donors to be able to cover the hospital’s needs. 

“The app will help avoid human errors and will add an extra layer to transfusion safety,” she said. The app is available on both Apple and Android devices. 

● All blood types are in demand but negative blood groups are less common so are in greater demand

● Blood lasts for only 42 days so donors are always needed to replenish stocks 

● Only 0.6 per cent of the UAE population are AB negative

● 1.8 per cent are B negative

● 2.4 per cent are A negative 

● 4 per cent are O negative

● Positive is the most common blood type and is found in 38.6 per cent of the population 

● People can give blood every eight weeks, with each donation potentially saving up to three lives 

● Platelet collections are also important to help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or those recovering from surgery who have suffered blood loss 

● Platelets can be donated up to 24 times a year 

● The Latifa Hospital blood donor centre is open from 7am to 7pm daily, with two mobile buses arranging blood collections in Dubai