A country-wide blood donation campaign launches to make up for plummeting rates. CAIRO: A public blood donation campaign has intensified recently to counter the dramatic fall in the number of blood donors as a result of the recent contaminated blood bags scandal. The scandal sparked uproar after some 200,000 polluted bags used to package donated blood were seized from the ministry of health's stores in connection with an ongoing scandal involving Hani Surur, a member of parliament and the owner of Hidelina Factory which manufactures blood bags. Medical authorities had warned of a severe shortage of blood supplies putting patients' lives at risk. The current seven-year campaign, launched by the National Blood Transfusion Center (NBTC) in Cairo, is aggressively pursuing potential donors with the center's units peppering the city in unlikely places like metro stations, public squares and other crowded areas. But doctors in charge of some of these units revealed that few donors are showing up, which means they must spend more time in each location. Dr Osama Al Saket, from the NBTC said the blood scandal has been detrimental. "People are even more reluctant to donate for fear of contamination. This did not use to be a concern before, he said. He said that the general public is now convinced that the process of donating blood could risk their own lives. "The media has played up the issue of contamination when the real problem with the bags was that they simply didn't follow standard specifications, he added. Emphasizing the fact that the blood bags follow the specs, the center has launched its campaign stressing that donating could save lives. "We've got a positive response from several companies that have encouraged their staff to give their blood, said Al Saket. "It's up to people to believe or not to believe that things are going back to normal. But I think with time the situation will improve. These companies have agreed to welcome us on a regular basis. Al Saket explained that, contrary to people's beliefs, there is always a blood crisis. "This is because the blood available at the blood bank is used up at a very fast pace to cater to the needs of hospitalized patients and accident casualties. He noted, however, that at this time of year the crisis reaches a peak because college students, who comprise the majority of blood-donors, are either busy with mid-term exams or are on vacation. But he reiterated that the situation was aggravated by the blood bag scandal. But does the center accept the blood of all donors? "No, says Al Saket. "We test the donor's hemoglobin level on the spot to see whether he is suffering from anemia. Donors' ages should also range between 18 and 60. Diabetics, those suffering from high blood pressure or heart disease are not eligible.
