CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Pampanga Provincial Blood Council (PBC) will receive two awards from the 1st Central Luzon Awarding/ Recognition for the Blood Program of the Department of Health Regional Office 3 (DOH-R3).
This was bared during the 1st meeting of PBC convened at the Executive House, capitol compound last Thursday.
According to Maria Katrina Zapanta, provincial blood coordinator and council secretariat, the PBC is an awardee for the Single Largest Mobile Blood Donation, and Innovation in the Blood Program.
Zapanta said the council collected 891 blood bags in the three bloodletting activities held last year.
Nine out of the eleven provincial and district hospitals were also licensed and were given authority to operate as blood stations.
During the meeting, board member Crisostomo Garbo, president of the council and chairman of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Health applauded the members of the council for their efforts in achieving their mission of providing safe, sufficient and sustainable blood for every Kapampangan.
Garbo also stressed that the main beneficiaries of the blood collected during the bloodletting activities are the indigent patients confined in the provincial and district hospitals.
“Patients confined in the provincial and district hospitals should get blood directly from the Provincial Health Office without submitting any requirements. The nurse or medical technologist on duty will coordinate directly from the PHO,” said Garbo.
The board member said the council will be more aggressive this year by conducting bloodletting activities every quarter, recruiting more voluntary blood donors, establishing a database of blood types and donors, and networking with other blood banks.
Also present during the meeting were Dra. Carlota Manzano, Vice-President of the council, Dr. Maria Imelda Ignacio, Provincial Health Officer I for Public Health, chief of hospitals, representatives from the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital (JBLMRH), Pampanga Medical Society (PMS), Philippine Red Cross-Pampanga Chapter, Pampanga Provincial Police Office, Department of Education, Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham), and non-government organizations.
By Liezel Cayanan
