TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK

DOHA AROUND 200 staffers from different departments of Rumailah Hospital donated blood at a blood donation camp held by the Patients and Visitors Service Center at Rumailah Hospital on Thursday.

“We came up with this initiative to encourage hospital staff to voluntarily donate blood so that we can help increase the supply in the HMC Blood Bank,” said Salam Nassar, manager of the Patients and Visitors Service Center (PVSC) at the hospital.

“Blood donation is a noble deed that saves lives, and we want to be part of this endeavor of saving lives. With the full support of our leadership, we launched the campaign urging staff members through letters sent to each department to come forward and donate blood for saving lives.” The staff members who wanted to donate blood were first assessed through questionnaires intended to ascertain their general health and suitability for donation. The next stage of the assessment involved checking the donor’s height, weight, temperature, blood pressure and haemoglobin level. The assessment is part of intensive quality control procedures to ensure that the blood donated will be safe and truly beneficial for patients in need of it.

“Not everyone can donate as the blood donation staff has to assess if they are good and fit for donation or if there are any conditions that may affect their suitability,” Nassar explained.

The PVSC had allocated two rooms for the assessment and also provided snacks, gifts and certificates of appreciation for the staff members who participated in the campaign.

HMC’s blood bank supplies blood and blood components for all hospitals in the country, including private hospitals.

Blood donors are the only source for blood in Qatar. With the increasing population and the opening of new hospitals such as Heart Hospital, Al Wakrah Hospital and the Cuban Hospital, there is also an expected increase in demand for blood or blood products.

Blood donation at HMC is a safe procedure that is carried out by trained medical staff under the supervision of qualified, experienced doctors.

The entire blood donation process, including the assessment, only takes about 40 minutes.

The Patients and Visitors Service Center was established at the HMC in 2009 with the aim of making patients and visitors feel more welcome, and helping them through any difficulties in accessing services or finding the location of different departments within HMC hospitals. The presence of the helpful and knowledgeable staff has been felt as patients and visitors find it easier to navigate the hospital compound or lodge their complaints.

“We are always willing to carry out initiatives that will reflect well on the quality of our services,” said Nassar.