New Hemocentro Nacional to resolve blood donations and transfusions
Vice President Margarita Cedeño and Public Health Minister Rafael Sánchez Cardenas headed the official inauguration of the Hemocentro Nacional in the Ciudad de la Salud at Av. Charles de Gaulle in eastern Santo Domingo on Thursday, 29 August 2019. The center, nevertheless, will not be open to the general public until November. Dr. Sócrates Sosa directs the center.
At present, those in need of blood transfusions need to find donors. The only center in operation, the Red Cross Blood Bank, requires those seeking blood to bring a donor and pay for the service.
As reported, the new center can process 400 blood tests every hour and can attend to 10 donors simultaneously. It affiliates 16 blood banks located at hospitals nationwide.
The center should be operating at full capacity in three years. A mass awareness campaign will be held to motivate people to donate blood. Mobile units of the center will be placed at universities, companies and malls to encourage people to participate in the drive to donate blood to stock the inventories of the blood bank.
Research shows that 9 out of 10 persons will need a blood transfusion some time in their lives.
Source: DR1, Vicepresidencia
Sep 2, 2019
Category: DR News |