BAGUIO CITY (May 24) — The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC-Baguio Chapter) is again appealing to the public for voluntary blood donors to have enough blood reserve especially for the rainy season.

Dr. Jasmin Igama, a consultant of the of Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and SLU Sacred Heart Hospital, and former PNRC Board of Director, said during the Kapihan sa Baguio last week that with rainy season during the months of July to November, most ailments occur, particularly dengue cases, aside from emergencies which require blood transfusion.

“We must store blood in order to save lives. Likewise an updating of list of blood donors in the barangays must be conducted,” Igama said. She explained that by updating this list of blood donors, PNRC could easily contact donors in case of emergencies as she cited a bus accident where some of the victims were not saved due to unavailability of blood for transfusion.

Igama further explained that in accidents, a person could only withstand 1/3 blood loss but beyond this point if not attended, the patient would die.

Igama said PNRC has already procured the refrigerated centrifuge machine which could process donated blood into four categories, Igama said. These categories include packed red blood cell, platelet concentrate, and the fresh frozen plasma that is divided into cryosuprimate and cryoprecipitate.

Blood donation process takes only five to ten minutes after a donor is evaluated free from possible communicable diseases acquired through blood transfusion. Donor will be given priority in case she/he or a family member would be in need of blood in the future, Igama added. # FNM/PIA-CAR