After two years, the Baguio General Hospital Medical Center (BGHMC) conducted a blood donation drive at Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary last March 13, 2020.

The BGHMC headed by Dr. Aurelia Navarro, MD in partnership with Asin Health Center harvested 25 bags of blood; just three bags shy from the last collection last June 17, 2020.

“I was nervous, because for the first time I experienced being inserted with a large needle,” said Bro. Palmis. “Yet, I am happy, because I was able to help others who are in need.”

Bro. Janrhey Palmis, a first-year college seminarian, is one of the 25 seminarians who qualified for blood donation out of 34 formands who volunteered.

The beneficiaries of the blood donation are cancer patients, bleeders, accident and trauma patients, elective surgery patients, patients with anemia, and patients undergoing dialysis.

Nurse Dolly Ocampo, RN explained how the pandemic affected the number of blood donations and the demand for it is still constant.

“Because of the virus, people feared coming to the hospital for fear of infection, causing a deficit of blood donations,” said Nurse Ocampo of Asin Health Center.

Since the start of the pandemic, the BGHMC in coordination with different barangay health centers, holds mobile blood donation to different communities to answer the need of blood.

Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary is the first community visited by the medical team for the year 2022.

Hoping for More

Due to the subsequent lockdowns imposed on the seminary, BGHMC failed to come back for another blood donation.

“Thankfully, we are already on alert level one and everything is going back to normal” said Nurse Ocampo, and expressed her hope to come back after three months.

When fractioned into plasma, platelets, and red-blood cells, a bag of blood could benefit up to 3 patients at a time, said Roselyn Reyes, Medical Technologist III of BGHMC.

But Ms. Reyes also confided that blood donation is beneficial not only to the beneficiary, but also to the donor.

“Blood donation helps not only the patient but also the one who donates,” she said, “especially with men who do not have the natural capacity to menstruate,” she added.