Individuals who are planning to donate blood no longer need to undergo an RT-PCR test, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said.
"Hindi na po natin kailangan ng RT-PCR test para po mag-donate ng dugo kasi unang-una po, ang mga nagdu-donate ng dugo ay iyong mga healthy individuals lang (We no longer need an RT-PCR test to donate blood because first of all, those who donate blood are only healthy individuals)," said DOH National Voluntary Blood Services Program Manager Marites Estrella on Tuesday, June 15.
Estrella said that a pre-screening is being conducted before a potential donor can donate blood.
"So sinasala na po natin. And of course iyong mga health protocols po natin, kung ano iyong mga sintomas ng COVID-19 at exposure nila, tinatanong na rin natin diyan; so iyon po ‘yung pre-screening (So there's a screening. And of course on our health protocols, we are asking if they have symptoms or were exposed to COVID-19 (patients). so that's the pre-screening)," she said.
"So hindi na po natin kailangan ng RT-PCR result. Kailangan lang po maging responsable at honest po ang ating mga volunteer blood donor (So we don't need RT-PCR results. Our volunteer blood donors just need to be responsible and honest)," she furthered.
The DOH is also conducting a "donor recruitment campaign," wherein information about blood donation are posted on social media platforms, she said.
Estrella said that those who are qualified to donate blood must be aged 18 to 65, do not have any comorbidities, and must have a weight of at least 110 pounds or 50 kilograms.
“So atin pong hinihikayat ang ating mga volunteer blood donors o potential blood donors na mag-donate po ng dugo (So we encourage our volunteer or potential to donate blood),” she said.