by MELROSE S. LUNN
Members of the Aklan Blood Coordinating Council led by Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino - Chairman, PRC Aklan Chapter (3rd from right) discussing the Human Blood Requirement of Aklan during the Kapihan on Saturday, July 23.
To adequately provide the blood requirement of Aklan province, some 5,000 blood units must be collected yearly. This is equivalent to one (1) percent of the total population of Aklan which is 500,000 plus. Last year, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Aklan chapter was able to collect 3,000 bags.
From January to June 2011, the PRC Aklan chapter collected 1,769 units of blood from the municipalities, organizations and walk in volunteer donors. They responded to our call for a mass blood donation. More blood donors are needed to augment this year’s remaining shortage of 3,231 blood units based on our population.
The municipalities which conducted mass blood donations this year are Kalibo– 25 units, Ibajay – 70 units, Lezo – 39 units, Buruanga–10 units and Malay–36 units. Other municipalities are scheduled in the coming months.
With the inadequate supply of blood recently, the Aklan Blood Coordinating Council and PRC Aklan chapter plead to Aklanons, to our government officials especially our municipal mayors to help campaign and organize blood donation in their respective localities.
The buffer blood supply of Red Cross Aklan was depleted by borrowers who did not come back to replenish the blood borrowed. Therefore, on emergency cases, most of the time, Red Cross staff members are blamed for not giving them blood as they demanded. They are required to bring donors to be able to get the blood they need.
According to Mrs. Arcely Pelayo, administrator of PRC Aklan chapter, there are more or less 865 total of ID’s of those who borrowed blood without a donor. They promised to return with donor. These unclaimed IDs are now deposited with their promissory notes and were not claimed since 2007 at the Red Cross office, Kalibo.
"This means there are many who borrowed blood and depleted the supply. They did not make any effort to replenish the blood they borrowed, did not claim their IDs, and did not honor their promissory notes. If people will just consume blood and fail to replenish the blood supplied them, there will be a continuous shortage of blood supply in Aklan. The physicians are worried by this system that resulted to limited blood supply. This is rainy season and also Dengue season," said Dr. Cynthia Dela Cruz, president of Aklan Blood Coordinating Council.
Dr. Dela Cruz is appealing to those who got blood to pay back what is borrowed. "ABCC and Red Cross do not own the blood. Blood belongs to the voluntary donors’ who are issued donors card during blood extraction. This means the donors should have easy access to blood in case they or their family members need it. We like to inform everybody that the amount of P1,500 given for every blood bag taken is for the examinations of blood from any disease (HEP B. HIV, Malaria, Syphylis). The money is also paid for the processing and chemical supplies to determine blood is safe for transfusion. The BLOOD IS FREE. It is donated by certain donors to be lent to people in need. This needs to be returned so that the donor can use it in case he needs it.
To resolve the concerns for lack of blood supply, Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PRC Aklan recommended that the borrowers sign Affidavit of Undertaking, of which the borrower will have responsibility to come back on a certain designated time to replenish the blood borrowed, otherwise, Red Cross has the right to call his/her attention before the Barangay Council and be announced on local radio stations and news papers that they failed to honor their commitments.
More blood donations would meet the supply of blood. It makes one feel good about himself, and the PRC Aklan chapter will have adequate supply of blood for emergency cases. An average person’s body has 5 to 6 liters of blood. Only 450+ml of blood is collected from a qualified donor. /MP
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