Gordon: There’s enough blood for dengue victims

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Friday assured the public that the Red Cross has enough blood supply for victims of dengue and other medical needs, in the face of the rising incidence of dengue cases from January to Sept. 5 this year.

In a presentation to top officials of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) earlier this week, PRC chair Richard Gordon said the PRC now supplies 52 percent of the country’s blood needs.

The PRC has 27 blood centers and 82 blood banks nationwide, all connected to its central offices in Manila via computer and telecom facilities to give status reports on blood supply twice daily.

In a press statement, Gordon said that if a local PRC chapter or blood facility did not have enough blood supply, the national headquarters could coordinate with the nearest Red Cross center to send the necessary supply.

“We just sent 45 bags of blood to Marinduque which has no local blood bank,” Gordon told the PMA.

Earlier this week, the province of Cavite declared a state of calamity after it recorded close to 4,000 dengue cases with 16 deaths from January to Sept. 12. The Bulacan provincial government also declared an “all-out war” on dengue after more than 4,000 cases with 10 deaths thus far.

Gordon said the PRC has fully mobilized its Cavite chapter to augment medical facilities in the province. Aside from moving enough blood supply and testing facilities there, PRC is also setting up a 100-bed tent with intravenous fluids and blood supplies at the General Emilio Aguinaldo Hospital grounds.

“We can set up a full service emergency hospital in the field should, God forbid, the situation warrants it,” said Gordon.

At the same time, Gordon said the PRC has mobilized its network of volunteers nationwide to aid barangay and local health officials in the education campaign and clean-up effort to check the incidence of dengue cases.