By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — More blood donations from local government units (LGUs) are needed for Negros Occidental to have a stable blood supply, a consultant for the Negros First Provincial Blood Center yesterday said.
Through its mobile blood donation (MBD), the provincial blood center in Brgy. 39 targets to make at least 1 percent of every LGU population as donors, said Dr. David Pedrosa.
But Pedrosa admitted that they were having a hard time achieving this because some of their MBDs, especially in small municipalities and villages, would get cancelled due to, among others, “lack of food for prospective donors.”
Logistics is also one of their problems. Sometimes, he said, they would hold MBDs in far-flung barangays using only one vehicle.
Pedrosa assured that the provincial blood center has enough supply for the most part of the year. He said the first half of the year is called the “lean months” for blood donations.
“Some people say the facility has no blood supply,” said Pedrosa. “Actually, we have, but sometimes not the type they need.”
All blood collected during MBDs are stored in the provincial blood center, he said.
Negros First Provincial Blood Center still lacks license. Its operation is thus limited only to storing and releasing blood.
Pedrosa assured that the provincial government is in the process of acquiring a license for the blood center.
Currently, he said, licensed blood centers in Negros Occidental were the Philippine Red Cross and the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
Meanwhile, Pedrosa welcomed the plan of Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Miller Serondo to propose an ordinance that will create a “Provincial Blood Council” to address the province’s need for stored blood.
Serondo, health committee chair, said the blood council shall monitor the status of blood supply in the province and compel LGUs to support MBDs./PN
