Pilgrims who come for Haj and Umrah sometimes face tough challenges when they are admitted for medical treatment. One charity organization is focusing on alleviating some of their problems by donating blood for pilgrims coming to Saudi Arabia on Umrah. About 150 people have participated in the blood donation campaign organized by King Fahd Medical City (KFMC) and donated 120 units (50 liters) of blood that would be delivered to blood banks in Makkah and Madina. The blood donation campaign was conducted in view of the forthcoming month of Ramadan, when millions of pilgrims from around the world come for Umrah. “Praise be to Allah around 150 people who considered donating blood a noble deed of charity came forward in such a short notice at the KFMC Blood Bank,” said Faisal Mohamed, General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath (TNTJ), a Riyadh-based charity organization. He said donating blood is a noble act that can save lives during emergencies. “These donors not only attend camps organized for various kinds of charity work, but also come forward to donate blood in emergency cases. We are guided by Qur'anic teaching that says, ‘And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved the life of all mankind' (5:32).” He said the response for the campaign was overwhelming. Large numbers of foreign workers from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participated in it. Each donor was tested for blood pressure, sugar and hemoglobin count before he was held eligible for donation. The clinical lab also tested the donors for diseases such as hepatitis, HIV or other transmissible illnesses. __
