Haj pilgrims will be one of the main beneficiaries of the blood donation campaign being run by King Abdul Aziz University Hospital at Serafi Mega Mall. The campaign, which started three weeks ago, is expected to run until Dec. 3. “We have a blood donation camp every Thursday here at the Mega Mall. After Haj we will take it to other venues,” said Manohar Manadhas, a senior blood donation officer from King Abdul Aziz University Hospital. “We plan to continue the blood donation campaign for the whole year at different places. A number of different charity organizations are also helping with this campaign. We are doing it mainly for needy patients and also to stock up for the Haj vacations. This is a time when blood is urgently needed,” he said. Manadhas said that last week they collected 24 units of blood when more than 41 people visited the blood donation camp. One unit is 450ml and can be into divided into three parts. A baby may need only one third of a bottle, while an adult could need a whole bottle of blood. Manadhas said donors have to fulfill specific criteria before they can donate blood. A questionnaire has to be filled in with the medical history of the donor, he said. The collected blood is then screened for different types of diseases such as HIV or Hepatitis. All tests are confidential. After a clear test the blood is stored for future use, he said. The Thursday camp at the Mega Mall is open from 5 P.M to 10 P.M.
