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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 10,613 indigent patients receive blood for free from PH Red Cross

10,613 indigent patients receive blood for free from PH Red Cross

Published Oct 6, 2021 10:02 pm

Amidst misinformation regarding fees, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) continues to serve people who are in need of blood.

Philippine Red Cross / MANILA BULLETIN

From January to October this year, the PRC Blood Services has given free blood to 10,613 indigent patients.

“That is roughly 10 percent of the total patients served by the PRC blood services for the past nine months, totaling 119,535 patients,” PRC said in a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

The indigent patients were given blood without any blood processing fees through the PRC Blood Samaritan Program.

On Oct. 5 alone, the PRC Blood Services served 28 indigent patients by giving them free blood with no processing fees, 24 patients given blood with discounted processing fees, and 229 patients given blood and charged with processing fees.

Patients can avail of the Blood Samaritan Program if they have a certificate of indigency from the hospital they are in or from the PRC Welfare services.

PRC said that these documents and the official blood request are needed to avail of blood without any charges.

Blood donation drive continues

As the need for blood never stops, over 57 individuals successfully donated blood during the PRC blood donation drive conducted by the PRC Quezon City Chapter at Robinsons Novaliches on Oct. 2.

Conducted every Saturday and Sunday with an average of 10 donors per day, the PRC Quezon City Chapter has collected blood from more than 500 donors since the PRC opened a bloodletting venue at the mall in July 2021 to respond to the need for more blood in the city.

“Blood is a true humanitarian gift that can only be given by one human being to another,” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon.

PRC Quezon City Chapter Novaliches branch focal person Caren Cabigao said that they have chosen Robinsons Novaliches as one of the venues because of its strategic location.

“It is located near hospitals like Novaliches District Hospital, Bernardino General Hospital, and Nodado General Hospital, making it much more efficient to transport safe blood and blood products to such nearby hospitals,” Cabigao said.

Cabigao added that Robinsons Novaliches Mall is now known around the Novaliches district as a bloodletting venue --- with some donors coming back to donate blood right just after three months.

“In every blood donation drive, there are about ten or more volunteers and staff,” PRC said. “These are composed of one volunteer doctor, one medical technician, two to four phlebotomists, and three volunteers who interview donors and take vital signs,” it added.

The PRC, which has over 98 blood facilities as of September 2021, provides 50 percent of blood needs in the country --- making it the top provider of quality blood in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, PRC reiterated that “blood itself is free” but the blood processing fees are charged to non-indigent patients to follow Department of Health (DOH) Administrative Order 2015-0045.

“The fees are to cover the donor recruitment program, education, collection, blood testing, preparation of blood products, and other processes to ensure that the blood given to patients is safe,” PRC added.

Related Tags

blood Philippine Red Cross Blood donation richard gordon PRC
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