Blood donors are 4 times less than the minimum requirement because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Rabat – Residents of Benslimane, near Casablanca, volunteered in large numbers for blood donations on Friday, April 3, without jeopardizing the state of health emergency that went into effect on March 20.
The blood donation campaign is an initiative of the Oulad Chaouia Foundation to replenish decreasing blood stocks in the city.
The foundation posted an appeal for donations on social media, inviting volunteers to communicate their contact details to the organizing committee. In small groups of four to six members, the organizing committee visited the volunteers at their homes for blood collection.
The campaign is an act of solidarity with a significant success rate. The large number of volunteers recorded is the result of the substantial effort of the Benslimane prefecture, the treasurer of Oulad Chaouia, Abderrazak Moutia, told Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
Moutia underlined that the campaign is in response to the National Center for Blood Transfusion and Hematology’s (CNTSH) plea to balance the blood deficit registered in the city.
The Director of CNTSH, Dr. Mohamed Benajiba, called on March 24, for a blood drive in Morocco amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Blood donors in the country were four times less than the minimum requirement on March 23, according to the CNTSH.
Common beneficiaries of blood donations include patients with cancer, thalassemia, and other blood diseases, along with patients hemorrhaging due to childbirth or accidents.
The Oulad Chaouia campaign aims to preserve the spirit of solidarity and citizenship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
