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. (end) nd.bs KUNA 260112 Nov 06NNNN