The ninth edition of the ‘Dami Le Watani’ (My Blood, for My Country) blood donation campaign has been launched by the Dubai Blood Donation Centre of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

The blood donation campaign was first launched in 2012 under the assistance of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council. In line with the National Day celebrations across the UAE, the ninth edition of the campaign will carry on till December 10, 2020. The campaign is aimed at inviting the public to participate in blood donation drives. In addition, the campaign seeks to raise awareness among the public about the significance of donating blood as a national duty of the community.

It targets all individuals, private entities and government establishments, particularly new donors such as the youth, noting that they are the future blood donors of the country.

Speaking about the campaign, Dr Farida Al Khaja, CEO of DHA’s Clinical Support Services and Nursing Sector, asserted that the campaign is aimed at encouraging Emirati nationals and residents to donate blood and give the gift of life to those people in need. Since the launch of the campaign in 2012, the campaign has proven to be an immense success as it helped in collecting 22,137 blood units.

"We have also noticed an increase in the number of blood donations over the years, wherein 418 units were collected in 2012, 6,206 units were collected last year. We are expecting this number to increase this year," Dr Al Khaja added.

Under the ambit of Pathology and Genetics Department and Clinical Support Services and Nursing Sector, the Dubai Blood Donation Centre is the only blood donation centre in Dubai. It provides approximately 50 per cent of the total blood collected across the UAE.

This year, the blood donation centre will be visiting around 40 public and private entities as part of the campaign in a bid to collect blood donations and raise awareness about the significance of donating blood for the greater good of the community.

Amid the fight against the COVID-19 crisis, Dr Khaja also affirmed that the DHA will take all necessary preventive and precautionary measures to ensure the safety and protection of the public and staff members. In line with the precautionary measures, the DHA has set us a fixed blood donation site next to the centre to ensure that blood donors are safe and are maintaining social distancing. Equipped with 12 beds and modern medical equipment, the tent setup can process blood donations of around 200 donors in a day.

Thanking every individual who contributed to the campaign's success since its first launch in 2012, Dr Hussain Al Samt, director of DHA’s Pathology and Genetics Department, urged the public to participate in the ongoing drive to save the lives of those in need. Dr Al Samt further highlighted the keenness of the authority to ensure that the blood donation drive operates smoothly and efficiently. In line with these efforts, the authority has launched the DAMMI service, that can be easily accessed via the DHA App.

According to Dubai Blood Donation Centre Director Dr Mai Raouf, the DAMMI service will help donors to easily find the right timing and place to donate blood across Dubai.