The Supportive Health Services Sector at Emirates Health Services (EHS) honored regular blood donors and all parties that support blood donation activities, in appreciation of their initiatives and efforts to promote it as a culture, as well as their active role in campaigns that helped make blood and its essential components available to patients, saving many lives in the process.

H.E. Dr Abdullah Al-Naqbi asserted that: “Emirates Health Services (EHS) is committed to developing all of our healthcare services, and with that in mind, we focus on blood donation drives as one of our leading strategic priorities given its indispensable role in saving people’s lives. It is an extension of our authentic Emirati values, rooted in selflessness, generosity, and humanitarianism. EHS remains committed to supporting these efforts; we strive to achieve our objectives, in line with national projects and strategies for the next 50 years.”

For her part, Ms. Muna AlAli noted: “World Blood Donor Day is a prominent occasion to address the challenges that may face the continuity of blood supply, and to raise awareness of the importance of regular donations, which should be promoted as a routine behavior among all members of the community. To that end, we must promote an accurate understanding of the benefits of periodic blood donations on the health of the donors themselves, as well as its role in saving people’s lives.”

“The Blood Transfusion and Research Centre, which forms part of Emirates Health Services, is making tremendous efforts to raise awareness and keep pace with EHS’ strategy and ambitions to enhance the quality of health services, where blood supplies are an essential pillar,” AlAli added. “We value the great efforts of all team members, collaborators, and partners, which have made a significant impact on our journey towards raising public awareness of the importance of donating blood.”

The categories that were honored included Regular Blood Donors, Coordinators, Employees, Partners and Supporting Entities.

The celebration highlighted a number of themes, including the importance of encouraging a culture of blood donation and raising awareness about it, introducing the health benefits of blood donation to the individual and the community, and shedding light on the challenges of blood donation and finding the necessary solutions for them. Other themes include highlighting the role of regular donors and the contribution made by Emirates Health Services and its team before and during blood donation campaigns, in addition to the role of supporting bodies and strategic partners.