BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance institutionalizing guidelines on blood donor’s program of the city and encouraging voluntary blood donation at the city and barangay levels.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. stated that it will be a policy of the local government to promote and encourage voluntary blood donation; provide an adequate, safe, affordable and equitable distribution of supply of blood and blood products; mobilize all sectors of the community to participate for voluntary collection of blood and disseminate the value, importance and benefits of voluntary blood donation through an education program.
The ordinance explained to ensure adequate supply of human blood, voluntary blood donation shall be promoted through institutionalization of a blood donor’s program in the city; blood donation activities on a regular schedule through a steady, adequate and safety supply of blood; declaration of barangay blood donation month wherein a blood donor’s month is done annually in all the barangays of the city.
The City Health Services office, in coordination with all the barangays in the city and blood service facilities, shall be organized to improve the provision of adequate and safe supply of voluntarily donated blood to make available to all patients in the community, maximize utilization of available blood and avoid wastage.
Under the proposed guidelines, all barangays in the city must have a blood donation orientation prior to the blood donation activity to ensure proper public education and awareness on blood programs; donors must be in good health or physically fit, between 16 to 65 years of age, those age 16 to 17 must provide written parental consent, first-time donors up to 50 years of age will be accepted; at least 2 members from each family are encouraged to donate blood; hemoglobin determination is done on the site; physical examination and donor interview will be conducted; extraction of about 400 to 500 cc of blood from the donors and rest and refreshment must be provided the donors.
The ordinance emphasized that all blood donations, and integral related activities aligned with the blood donor’s program, shall be made a regular and permanent program of every barangay in the city and all blood donation activities in the barangays shall be held in the different barangay halls or any hygienic and appropriate place attended by licensed personnel of blood service facilities.
The ordinance stipulated that all donated blood shall be stored for processing blood and blood products and screening tests and dispensing to the blood service facilities and the blood service facilities shall operate on a non-profit basis, however, they may collect service fees which shall be limited to necessary expenses entailed in collecting and processing blood.
The ordinance stated that al successful blood donors shall be issued blood donor’s card by the blood service facilities and the blood donor’s card shall be used by a barangay resident or any member of his or her immediate family to draw blood from the blood service facilities in time of need free of charge.
All barangays shall be required to keep and maintain a master list of qualified voluntary blood donors with their specific blood type for ready reference.
By Dexter A. See
