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Blood units collected by the Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, ADBB, which is operated by Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, rose to 34,067 from 28, 621 donors in 2018, as compared to 32,009 units in 2017.
Apheresis platelets also saw an increase to 2,799 from 433 donors in 2018, as against 2,675 in 2017. Male donors constituted the lion share of 86 percent of the total units against 14 percent for their female peers.
Dr Naima Oumeziane, Medical Director of the Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, told Emirates News Agency,WAM, that there had been a significant increase in blood donations last year due to the heightened awareness of the members of the community to donating blood.
Last year, the bank conducted 530 donation drives through mobile blood collection units.
''Frequent blood donors form 48 percent of the total pool of donors. They donate blood every two months and they are ready to answer to the human appeal throughout the year,'' she added.
Blood transfusion is almost always essential in heart surgery and organ transplants, the treatment of leukaemia, cancer, and other diseases such as sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia, and in the case of accident and burn victims.
ADBB, the major donor centre and blood bank in Abu Dhabi, caters to the needs of public and private hospitals across Abu Dhabi as well as other emirates. The unit's mobile service reaches out to the community by visiting business premises, universities, and public venues to promote blood donation.
On average, ADBB collects more than 25,000 units of blood every year and more than 1,000 units of apheresis platelets.
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