‘Blood flows’ in UP; Red Cross happy

STUDENTS and faculty members of the University of the Philippines College of Law on Tuesday led a blood donation drive to help the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) replenish its supply, which has been diminished by the surge of dengue cases and surgeries over the holidays last year.

Professor Gabriela Concepcion tapped sororities, fraternities and student organizations based in the College of Law to set up the post-Valentine blood drive dubbed #TypeKita at Malcolm Hall in UP Diliman.

“The Red Cross needed help because of the dwindling supply, so we offered to start. This is not just to increase the blood supply, but also to create awareness,” said Concepcion, whose husband, law dean Danilo Concepcion, sits in the PRC board of governors.

Law students conducted a room-to-room campaign to find blood donors, while professors who hold review classes in other universities also provided incentives to encourage other students to donate, Concepcion said.

PRC secretary general Gwendolyn Pang said students were “ideal donors” who can ensure the safety of donated blood. “The laboratory is the last defense of blood safety, the first defense is the blood donor. We need blood from a healthy population,” she said.

“While they’re young, there’s strong production of blood. And at a young age, we inculcate the value of giving their blood so that others may live,” Pang said.

Donating blood also has health benefits for the donor since bloodletting prompts the body to reproduce red blood cells, Pang said. For men, since they don’t menstruate, donating blood helps reduce iron buildup that can cause heart ailments.

All types of blood are needed, Pang said as she noted that people with the most common type—O—tend to think donating was not necessary. “It’s based on proportion. Around 50 percent of the population is type O, so a lot of people also need it.”

Blood can be divided into four components—plasma, platelet, cryoprecipitate and red blood cells—so a bag can be used for four patients who only need a certain component, Pang said.

PRC’s supply dwindled when many patients opted to schedule their surgeries during the holidays. “Dengue patients also increased and there are increasing numbers of patients with kidney problems and blood disorders. These people as well as cancer patients need continuous supply of blood,” Pang said.