ABU DHABI, SEHA, the UAE’s largest healthcare network, introduced in collaboration with Department of Health Abu Dhabi, a new blood donation centre in Zayed City, Al Dhafra.
Residents of the region now have the opportunity to contribute to the blood requirements of the community with the convenience of donating closer to home.
The new blood donation centre in Al Dhafra was inaugurated by Dr. Tarek Fathey, Group Chief Executive Officer, SEHA, who said: “Blood donation is a fundamental element to healthcare and is critical for the successful treatment of dire medical situations. We are giving community members across the capital the opportunity to be involved in the process of healing – the opportunity to save lives. The launch of the new blood donation unit eases the process for members of the public to donate, reiterating SEHA’s commitment to strengthen the reach of our network and world class healthcare services.
Dr. Marwan Al Kaabi, Acting Chief Operating Officer, SEHA, said: “I strongly encourage all capable individuals to donate blood as frequently as possible. The availability of adequate blood units can be life saving for patients who are dependent on blood transfusions for the successful completion of their treatments.”
All the blood donation centres that are part of the SEHA network strictly adhere to international benchmarks and maintain high quality standards throughout the process, ensuring the safety of blood donors and recipients. Community members who have received the COVID-19 vaccination are eligible to donate blood after 14 days from the first or second dose.
Hamad Khamis Al-Mansouri, Executive Director, Al Dhafra Hospitals, said: “Our upmost priority is the adequate provision of best-in-class medical care, in line with the high standards established by SEHA, to the residents of the Al Dhafra region. To support the launch of the new blood donation center and encourage the local community to contribute, we will be working with government agencies and corporate organisations to ensure donors have easy and simple access at a time of their convenience.”
Operational on weekdays from 8:00am to 5:00pm, the new blood centre will be available to UAE citizens and residents in Zayed City, Ghayathi and Dalma Island. With a capacity to receive 3,000 donors per year and consisting of four rooms, the centre will be expertly managed by a medical team comprising of a general practitioner, medical laboratory technician, nursing staff and a donation assistant.
ADBBS was established in 2020 and is overseen by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH) and managed by SEHA. Operating within a network of blood donation centres located in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra regions, ADBBS provides blood products and transfusion-related medical services across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
In January 2020, ADBBS pioneered the Frozen Red Blood Cells project with the overarching mission of creating a strategic blood inventory by freezing approximately 600 units of frozen red blood cells every year, over the next five years, to manage urgent blood transfusion demands.
By collaborating with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, hospitals, clinicians, and volunteer blood donors, ADBBS is an active and integral contributor to Abu Dhabi’s healthcare system, ensuring quality that adheres to international and local standards of excellence, established by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), the UAE Federal Regulation of Blood Transfusion, and the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi.
Source: Emirates News Agency