Red Cross in LU to mark blood donor’s month celebration this July

By Monette H. Herrera

Thursday 5th of July 2012

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, July 5 (PIA) -- The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) in La Union will undertake series of training, advocacy on blood collection and bloodletting activity this month to mark the celebration of Blood Donor’s Month.

With the theme “Every Blood Donor is a Hero,” La Union Chapter Service Representative for Blood Services Michelle Bermudez urged qualified individuals to donate blood to help sick people recover from pain like victims of vehicular accident, dengue and even anemia.

On July 3, 29 volunteers and nurses here participated on the Phlebotomy Training for blood collection, a process of extracting blood by puncturing particular vein at PRC Training Hall, this city which started last July 2 with an objective to instruct these medical personnel on the proper way of collecting blood samples for usage for either transfusion or diagnostic testing at the same time help doctors during blood collection.

Likewise, an advocacy session on donor recruitment will be conducted this July 10 to employees of the Thunderbird Resort here, La Union Chapter Almira V. Abrazado said in an interview.

For July 12, 13 and 25, a bloodletting activity will also be undertaken at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Bauang town and Thunderbird as part of the celebration.

According to Bermudez, the blood that will be collected will be screened first before its direct distribution to patients in need at Lorma Medical Center, Bethany Hospital, Inc. and others.

Abrazado said that everyone can still donate to their office today or in the next days since, the PRC personnel are on 24/7 duty to serve donors where their blood bank is open 24 hours a day especially during emergency cases.(ANL/MHH PIA1 La Union with reports from PRC)