Kuwait Hospital in Sharjah fosters community awareness on the importance of blood donation

Kuwait Hospital in Sharjah, an affiliate of Emirates Health Services (EHS), held a blood donation campaign on June 14 to coincide with World Blood Donor Day in association with the Sharjah Blood Transfusion and Research Centre and the Red Crescent Sharjah Branch's Community Awareness Unit to advance the hospital's social responsibility initiatives and raise community awareness on the value of blood donation.

Afra Salem, Director of Kuwait Hospital in Sharjah, said: " Blood donation is a noble humane act that symbolises our nation’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed's approach, and our leadership's directives to put the welfare of the human being at the top of the government's priorities by using all available resources.”

She emphasised the significant demand from the public to donate blood, which is an indicator of the community's knowledge and social responsibility to support patients.

Salem expressed her admiration, gratitude, and appreciation for the efforts made by the staff to make the campaign successful and achieve its objectives, adding that the hospital has recorded a high demand for blood donation from its staff.

The campaign's launch included several events such as a lecture by The Sharjah Blood Transfusion and Research Centre, which highlighted the value of blood donation and its significant contribution to saving the lives of patients who require blood transfusions. Blood donation is of particular value to patients who have heavy bleeding due to accidents and surgeries, or people with hereditary anemia (thalassemia), and cancer. The lecture also discussed the advantages of blood donation, including how it lowers the risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart disease, and blocked arteries (Atherosclerosis).  Additionally, blood donation aids in boosting blood circulation, as well as the body's ability to manufacture new blood cells, increase general activity, and eliminate extra iron.