RIYADH: Inspired by the Qura'nic verse 5:32 which is translated as “… and whoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all humankind,” a large number of expatriate workers who recently gathered at a blood donation camp in King Fahd Medical City (KFMC) here expressed their wish to become regular donors. About 300 foreign workers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Yemen, Egypt and Syria have participated in the 11th blood donation campaign organized jointly by KFMC and Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamaat (TNTJ), an Indian social organization. About 160 pints of blood was collected for the benefit of those who need this essential life-saving medical help during emergencies. A standard health screening procedure was conducted to ensure that the donors have no medical problems such as diabetes and also are free from any communicable diseases such as HIV or hepatitis. Each donor underwent clinical tests for blood pressure; sugar and hemoglobin count before blood donation. Faisal Mohammed, TNTJ General Secretary, said blood donors are coming forward on a voluntary basis and are quite enthusiastic to participate in the blood donation camps regularly. “We are very happy to donate blood for the patients who are not known to us,” Mohammed quoted the donors as saying during the campaign. He said he was amazed to learn that a volunteer was donating blood for the 23rd time during as many years. Additionally, Mohammed said about 20 TNTJ social workers contributed their time by picking potential blood donors from their residences and transported them to the medical campsite at KFMC. Blood donors can donate up to 450 ml of blood (one unit) for every two and half-month to three-month period. The amount of blood donated by each donor is small given the quantity of blood that a normal human body contains, which is about five to six liters (10 to 12 units). The blood types among people vary that include ‘O+' (positive) and O- (negative). Others are ‘A' positive and negative, ‘B' positive and negative, ‘AB' positive and negative. Distribution of blood type may be different based on racial and ethnic groups, but in an emergency, anyone can receive type O negative red blood cells. Hence, people with type O blood type are known as ‘universal donors', and those with type ‘AB' blood type are known as “universal recipients.”
