Legazpi City sets every Saturday 'blood-letting day'

By: Alfredo L. Vargas Jr. LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 29 (PNA) –- Saturdays have always been an eight-hour routine of blood service, saving, collection and withdrawal for the medical technicians of the City Health Office (CHO) here. In an effort to set up efficient buffer stock for this month until June, the period usually with scarce blood supply, health officials launched the regular blood-letting activities every Saturday. Since the program proved effective last year and that there is a need to maintain a continuing supply of blood for the whole year, it has been done from the first, and will be regularly held until the last, Saturday of 2013, said Dr. Fulbert Gillego, city health officer. “With enough and continuing supply of blood, we are sure to save more lives,” Gillego said. Based on the effective ratio of one bag per 100 residents, the city needs not less than 2,000 bags of blood ready for all types of emergency for persons who are victims of accidents, birthing mothers, patients undergoing operations, dialysis patients and those suffering from chronic ailments and dengue. Residents in need of blood supply can come any day to withdraw the needed number of bags and are required to return, as much as possible, on the nearest Saturday to replenish the supply. Massive information dissemination on the program has been launched by the local government unit (LGU) here through local broadcast media and conduct of health orientation seminars in the barangays. “There are plenty of people coming to donate and replenish loaned blood on Saturdays. It’s usually a day of rest for most workers and students so they have also an opportunity to either pay back or give blood,” Gillego noted. He said they are also planning to establish here a blood bank for inter-LGUs health zone. He said this would cater to the four towns and one city of the second district of Albay province. The district is composed of this city and the towns of Manito, Rapu-Rapu, Daraga, Camalig and Sto. Domingo. According to plans, each LGU will be assigned a day in the week or a certain period to man the facility, utilizing its own human resources and operational budget. “We are asked to formulate a detailed staffing program and other necessary management operations. We will all benefit from the facility daily but we will take turns in manning and managing its 24/7 operations,” Gillego added. (PNA) PDS/FGS/ALV/MMG/ABB