Include ‘blood program’ in ‘Big One’ preparations

I THINK the “blood program” was relegated to the background in the preparations for the “Big One” several months ago. We conveniently forgot that there is such a program called the National Voluntary Blood Services Program (NVBSP) under the Department of Health. But as reported in the media,  the nationwide preparations focused mainly on search and rescue efforts.

We know too well that if and when the Big One happens there will be massive destruction, particularly in the Metro Manila area as this, according to experts, could result in collapsed buildings, especially in the vicinity of identified fault lines. And we all know that collapsed buildings could either bring about instant death to people or cause massive injuries to those who are trapped but lucky enough to escape death.

Assuming all the injured people are immediately located under the rubble of collapsed buildings and are eventually extracted/rescued and brought to hospitals for medical treatment (this, assuming the roads are passable or helicopters are readily available), what guarantees them survival if there’s no blood available for transfusion purposes?

Blood supply generation at the local government level must, therefore, be given equal attention all the time, as we do not know when disasters strike or when accidents happen. There should be a deliberate effort to do this in good times and in bad times. And our government must provide the leadership to keep the blood program rolling.

In this direction, as a first step, the interior, health, defense and budget departments should issue a joint memorandum circular (1) requiring (not merely encouraging) all barangays, towns, cities and provinces to generate, every year, blood supply equivalent to at least 1 percent of their respective populations, possibly broken down quarterly; (2) making blood supply generation as one of the indicators for the grant of the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG); (3) allowing a portion of the local DRRM (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management)  fund to be used for blood supply generation (i.e., for program advocacy and promotion, donors recruitment, and blood drive events); (4) requiring local government units to designate a focal person or an officer (could be from the existing staff of the local health office or DRRM office) to plan and manage activities and coordinate efforts to achieve the annual target (making the designation of such staff as another indicator for the grant of the SGLG); (5) requiring uniformed personnel (military and police) and reservists and other force multipliers to participate as blood donors when there is a calamity; and (6) encouraging Red Cross chapters to participate/support and make available their blood banks.

Sufficient and accessible blood supply, among other things, is vital to the nation. Let us work this out. This can be done, now more than ever.

—NATHAN SERGIO, [email protected]