Members of the DOH-National Voluntary Blodd Services Region 1 conducts various blood donation campaign in different municialities even during the pandemic to ensure an adequuate supply of blood products in the region.
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco T. Duque formally opened the Regional Blood Center (RBC) located at Barangay Sevilla, San Fernando City, La Union during a simple blessing and inauguration held on March 4, 2022.
The RBC will provide safe, adequate, timely, accessible, and equitable supply and rational quality blood products and services in Ilocos region which is one goal of the DOH in the Universal Health Care.
“Sa pamamagitan nito ay mapapalakas natin at mapapabuti ang serbisyong makapagbibigay ng buhay sa ating mga kababayan. Our existing blood services networks need to be strengthened and improved in order to provide a timely, safe, adequate, accessible and affordable blood supply to various health facilities. With this blood center in place, residents can now be assured of quality blood supply,” Secretary Duque stated in his message.
“Ang pagkakaroon ng safe blood supply ay isang paraan upang mapababa ang maternal mortality sa ating bansa at upang mabigyan ng agarang supply ng dugo ang mga pasyente na nasa emergency cases na nangangailangan ng blood transfusion,” he added.
The RBC is the first blood facility established in the region. With a total budget allocation of P90 million pesos funded by the DOH Enhance Facility Enhancement Program. Construction for the facility began on October 2017 and was completed March, this year.
In 2021, a total of 66, 580 blood units were collected in various blood donation activities thru the National Voluntary Blood Services Program (NVBSP). The collected blood was deposited in three blood service facilities namely, Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in La Union and Region 1 Medical Center in Pangasinan.
DOH-Ilocos Region Regional Director Paula Paz. Sydiongco, meanwhile, assured that the RBC will provide the safest possible supply of blood products for the benefit of the people of Ilocos.
“All activities related to blood collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution of blood and blood products must be safely and effectively guaranteed.”
“Blood products save lives and improve health. The role of the RBC in providing timely access to safe blood, providing safe and adequate blood supply should be an integral part of every country’s national health care policy and infrastructure,” she emphasized.
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