The year 2024 was another unforgettable year for the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Quezon City Chapter.  In April, its new building located inside the Quezon City Hall compound was inaugurated coinciding with the 77^th founding anniversary of the humanitarian organization. Last December, the PRC Quezon City Chapter inaugurated its blood center clinical laboratory.

The blood center clinical laboratory was established through the partnership of PRC Quezon City Chapter and SM Foundation. The area now occupied by the clinical laboratory used to be an empty dilapidated bodega. With the renovation undertaken by SM Foundation, the bodega has been transformed into a modern laboratory. It now has a welcoming and warm atmosphere with a reception area equipped with furniture to provide comfort to blood donors and clients.

“The partnership of PNRC and SMFI is a beacon of hope. It is more than a renovation—it is a commitment to serve and to save lives,” shares SM Foundation executive director for health and medical programs Connie Angeles in her short message.

The clinical laboratory is specifically designed to meet the requirements of the PRC Quezon City Chapter Blood Center. One of the key procedures offered at the Blood Center is platelet apheresis, a process that involves collecting platelet components from a single donor to serve patients in need. Platelets are blood components essential for blood clotting.  Medical conditions requiring apheresis platelets are cancer treatments (leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma), major surgeries, organ transplantation, bleeding disorders, aplastic anemia, and severe thrombocytopenia or low platelet count.

 Before the establishment of the clinical laboratory, the screening process for blood donors takes a significant amount of time and effort, even involving visits to external clinical laboratories for complete blood count tests which sometimes result in the discouragement of potential donors. 

The establishment of the clinical laboratory aims to streamline the testing process for blood donors. Provided with modern equipment, laboratory procedures are hastened for blood component segregation. This enables quicker response to blood donation requests as well as encourages more blood donors.