Doha: Qatar Blood Service has urged blood donors from Rhesus (Rh) negative groups to donate urgently.
“Qatar Blood Service is urgently in need of blood donors from all RH negative groups such as O-, A-, AB-, B-,’’ said Siddiqa Al Mahmoudi, Medical Director of the Blood Donor Centre at Hamad Medical Corporation, in a social media message.
“If you are in RH negative group, we strongly urge you to donate blood now and to assure that lifesaving blood and blood products are available for our patients,” she said.
Rhesus (Rh) factor is an inherited protein found on the surface of red blood cells. If blood has the protein, the person has Rh positive blood group. If blood lacks the protein, the person is in Rh negative blood group.
“RH factor is important in blood donation and blood transfusion. A person with RH positive factor will not make anti RH antibodies. Those with RH negative factor will produce the antibodies. Therefore someone with the RH positive blood can receive both RH positive and RH negative transfusion. But those with RH negative can only receive RH negative blood,” said Al Mahmoudi.
Blood donors can donate at blood donations center next to Hamad General Hospital (HGH) Sunday to Thursday from 7am to 9.30 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 2pm.
Teams at Qatar Blood Services have stepped up precautionary measures to ensure that every blood donation is safe during the pandemic to include mandatory pre-screening before entering the blood donation sites, as well as regular cleaning and disinfection of all surfaces and equipment.
“Blood donation is a very safe procedure and adverse (effects) are very rare and even when occur they are usually very mild and post no threat to the donor. To ensure that the process of donation is safe, potential donors are very carefully assessed for suitability before they can donate and to make sure that the procedure caries no hazard to the donors,” said Al Mahmoudi, in a previous interview with The Peninsula.
To be able to donate blood, a donor must be healthy, adult not less than 17 years of age, with no significant chronic illness or previous infections, with the bod yweight of not less than 50kg and hemoglobin level of not less than 13g for male and 12.5 for female.
On the day of the donation, the donor must be free of symptoms of fever and coughs or any other infection and he must have adequate hours of sleep.
