Need blood transfusion? You live in one of the best places in world to get one

The UAE is among the top five countries of the world in safe blood transfusion, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report of 2011.

For the 16th year in a row, Emiratis took the first place among people of 96 nationalities that donated blood in the UAE, according to the Ministry of Health.

MoH statistics show that 45 per cent of donors in UAE have donated blood more than once, reflecting awareness of the important of blood donation among both nationals and expatriates.

Besides helping to save the lives of people in urgent need of blood, blood donation is said to help reduce excess iron in the body and also lower the risk of stroke and heart attack for regular blood donors.

According to Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Health and Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practices and Licensing, 62 countries are at present able to provide sufficient blood to sick and injured people while the other nations are trying to achieve self-sufficiency.

Dr Al Amiri said 92 million units of blood are donated worldwide each year, of which 20 million are given by once-only donors.

Sourcing of safe blood in sufficient quantities has been made difficult by the spread of viral infections, he added.

Blood transfusions are needed during surgery after road accidents, to treat bleeding after childbirth and genetic blood diseases.

According to MoH statistics, 50.7 per cent of blood transfusions are used for treating anemia resulting from genetic diseases like thalassemia.

Eight per cent is used in treatment of injuries caused by road accidents, 8 per cent to combat bleeding after childbirth, 10.2 per cent for routine surgeries and 2 per cent for open heart surgery.

(Home page image courtesy Shutterstock)

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