RIYADH, 23 June 2007 — Riyadh Deputy Gov. Prince Sattam honored donors who have given blood more than 50 times at a special function held to celebrate International Blood Donors Day.
Prince Sattam presented mementos to five volunteers at the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center. Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie, his deputy ministers, senior government officials, officers from the National Guard, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in the Kingdom Dr. Awad Abuzaid Mukhtar, and Dr. Tawfik Khoja, director-general of the executive board of the GCC Health Ministers’ Council, were also present at the event.
In a statement issued on the occasion, Prince Sattam appreciated the efforts of blood donors, who wanted to help one another. “The donation is well within the framework of Islamic Law,” he stressed.
Thanking blood donors, Dr. Manie said that last year, 408,958 people in the Kingdom donated blood through blood donation centers in the Kingdom. “Prince Sattam himself is a regular blood donor, so is Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman, who has donated blood more than 10 times,” the minister said, adding that Prince Salman had received a Second Degree Medal from the king for his services.
The minister also called on the public to come forward to donate blood, which would not only help them maintain good health but also help others.
In his brief address, Dr. Abdullah Al-Idrees said the blood donation program is being carried out in cooperation with the WHO. He added that the main idea behind the celebration was to create public awareness.
Speaking to Arab News, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, general director of Blood Banks and Laboratories, said that there are 250 blood banks throughout the Kingdom and that donors can donate blood at their own convenience. He also pointed out that there are 20,000 voluntary blood donors who have been awarded the Third Degree Medal from Custodian of the to Holy Mosques King Abdullah for their services to the nation.
Dr. Al-Omar explained that he has all the blood groups in his banks, including the rare “Bombay Group,” and added that his department has identified three people in the Kingdom who have the Bombay Group and that they have agreed to come to the blood bank at any time when blood is needed.
Saeed Mohammed Al-Zahrani, orient officer at the Royal Saudi Navy Force, who received a certificate of appreciation from Prince Sattam, said that he has donated blood 113 times. “I feel happy and comfortable after donating blood every time. I derive the satisfaction of having served my nation,” Al-Zahrani said. “I am doing this for the sake of Allah the Almighty.”
Al-Zahrani said that he has plans to hold a road show in all major cities in the Kingdom to highlight the significance of donating blood. “I am going to purchase a motorbike for SR110,000 and I will carry the Saudi national flag and the blood donation banner to espouse the cause,” he concluded.
