Help Save a Life: Dubai Healthcare City Holds Blood Drive

Saturday, Jul 31, 2010

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), a member of TECOM Investments, in collaboration with Blood Donation Centre (BDC), the central blood bank of Al Wasl Hospital, and supported by Empower organized a blood donation in order to meet the ongoing demand in the emirate.

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), a member of TECOM Investments, in collaboration with Blood Donation Centre (BDC), the central blood bank of Al Wasl Hospital, and supported by Empower organized a blood donation in order to meet the ongoing demand in the emirate.
 
In total, 99 members of the public and staff participated in the blood drive in just 5 hours, highlighting that even in the current summer temperatures, people are willing to do what they can to help those in need.
 
Dr. Ayesha Abdullah, Managing Director of Sciences Cluster, TECOM Investments, said: “Blood donations are an integral and essential part of our health care system and without them many of the life saving and life enhancing treatments that we take for granted cannot be conducted. This initiative reiterates DHCC’s commitment to the well-being of the community and I would like to thank everyone who has participated in our blood drive.

“It is important to raise awareness that one pint of blood can help save three to five lives but also that the need for donations is ongoing. If we are to meet this demand, we need organisations and individuals to become regular supporters because this is something that impacts the whole community.”

Dr. Rena Saheb, Head of the Medical Unit in the Dubai - Blood Donation Center at Al Wasl Hospital said: “I would like to extend my gratitude to Dubai Healthcare City for conducting this blood drive. The demand from hospitals and clinics in Dubai is such that we need to conduct almost daily donation campaigns across Dubai. The process is virtually painless and the actual blood donation takes only around 7 minutes (depending on blood flow). All blood groups are required but the need for common blood groups is more.”

Donating blood is considered healthy for its benefits of reducing the incidence of heart diseases in certain people, while activating the bone marrow to produce fresh blood cells and preventing the build-up of iron in the body over time.