LOC01:12
22:12 GMT
KUN0089 4 GEN 0289 KUWAIT /KUNA-IPU9
HLT-KUWAIT-BLOOD DONATION
Kuwait blood bank launches donation campaign
By Nadia Dashti
KUWAIT, Nov 25 (KUNA) -- Kuwait central blood bank, in collaboration with
volunteering youths, launched a national blood donation campaign with
attendance of minister of health Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah.
Al-Sabah, in a speech at the launch of the campaign in the Scientific
Center, said the main objective of the campaing was to compensate shortage of
strategic storage of blood, as well as boosting awareness among citizens and
expatriates on need of donating blood.
He said the growing population in Kuwait increased blood demand thus there
was a need to back the strategic storage.
Kuwait blood bank is looking forward to achieving some key objectives by
end of 2007, like expanding laboratories, renovating all departments of
blood-related diseases, as well as developing archiving, said Al-Sabah.
New methods will be installed to test the blood in the bags, he added, and
noted that one out of nine persons admitted to hospitals needed blood.
Health assistant undersecretary for blood services and laboratories
Abdulaziz Al-Bashir said the blood bank has been providing blood for all
patients in Kuwait since its establishment in 1965.
The blood bank is educating people about importance of blood donation
through various media means, he said.
The eight-week blood donation campaign, said Al-Bashir, aimed at
highlighting importance of donation to saving others.
Dr. Rana Al-Abdulrazzaq, the campaign's general supervisor, said one of the
major tasks of the blood bank was to attract people to donate blood to the
needy.
She said the blood bank was also providing consultations over the phone.
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