Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon inaugurates the new PRC Tower Blood Center in Mandaluyong City on Thursday. The facility can hold 4,000 units of blood at a time. It also has state-of-the-art testing machines for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and malaria as well as apheresis machines.
The Philippine Red Cross’ (PRC) biggest and newest blood center, which also operates 24/7, was unveiled in Mandaluyong City on Thursday.
The PRC Tower National Blood Center has a blood storage capacity of 4,000 units at a time. It has a walk-in blood bank refrigerator and five floor-types blood bank refrigerators. It has state-of-the-art testing machines for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and malaria, as well as apheresis machines.
“This is the biggest storage of blood bank, and what’s good is that you can take a train, bus, jeep to get here. You can walk, call and order for blood, provided you have a doctor’s certificate when you claim it,” PRC Chairman Richard Gordon told reporters at the building inauguration.
The new blood center is located 172 meters away from the Metro Rail Transit’s Boni Station in EDSA and is open 24/7 for blood issuance and distribution.
“I really prefer it when blood is delivered; but of course the people are saving money, but we deliver to hospitals that can afford it. We can deliver at an extra cost,” he added.
There are now 82 PRC blood centers and service facilities nationwide.
Gordon also emphasized that the less fortunate ones could also avail blood from PRC when the need arises.
“What is important is that we also have the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and other donors for indigent patients,” he said.
For instance, the PRC’s Blood Samaritan Program will cover costs related to blood processing, screening, testing, and storage so that indigent patients can avail blood when necessary.
“If you cannot afford to get blood, just get an indigent certificate from your barangay or the hospital and bring it to any of our blood service facilities,” Gordon said.
But to those who can afford it, Gordon appealed that they should no longer ask for assistance.
“If you can afford it, pay for it and don’t pretend you can’t. You see the machines here; we pay for high electricity bills. There are medical technicians for every blood center… It’s hard to hire a med tech. We also need to raise their salary so we can keep them. So if you can afford it, don’t pretend that you’re poor,” he said in Filipino.
Gordon also encouraged the public to help the Red Cross by participating in the fun run this coming December.
“We target to get 3 million runners from Aparri to Jolo and set a Guinness record,” he said.
The fund-raising activity will be held on December 13 nationwide. The registration fee at Red Cross Centers and online is at P400.