Donors contributed 114 pints of blood during a Blood Donation Drive organised by Radisson Hotel Brunei in conjunction with World Blood Donor Day.
One of the donors, Robert Montecalvo, a Filipino working at the hotel, shared that it was the first time he made a donation in the Sultanate, having been a regular donor in his home country.
“My first experience was in the Philippines back in 2013 when a friend approached me and asked me to donate blood for his sister. None of their family members were able to donate, and there were no volunteers, so I decided to help,” he said, adding that his blood type was suitable.
The act of donating blood made him feel like it made a difference, and since then he has always tried to make time to donate blood.
He had continued to do so while he was working in the Middle East before coming to work in the Sultanate.
Roberts, now in his mid-30s, suggested that one way to get more people active in donating blood was to have a system to give priority to those who donated to also receive, should an emergency arise.
He noted that this is an initiative in the Philippines to encourage more donors, where they would receive a year’s membership with the Red Cross and be given priority as recipients.
Meanwhile, Hajijah, an educator, was a first time donor. She said she had been trying to do so for a while, but did not yet meet the body weight requirement of being at least 45 kilogrammes.
“Now that I have reached my body weight requirement, I came here to do my part in contributing to the community,” she said.
She is keenly aware that the nation’s blood banks are always in need of more supply, so the donation drive yesterday was an opportunity she did not want to miss. While it was her first time, she wasn’t nervous, as she is used to taking blood tests. “The feeling is the same,” she said.
Mohamad Waez Ashraf bin Dollah, 25, was making his second blood donation after his first late last year.
He shared that his first time was a spontaneous decision, after passing by a similar event during lunch time and registered on a whim.
“I was a bit scared at first, but felt okay when the procedure began. After donating blood, my body felt much better and less tired and from then onwards, I decided to be an active donor.”
Radisson Hotel Brunei General Manager Miriam Wolber said, “We are delighted to host this vital blood drive in partnership with the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital Blood Donation Centre, with the generous support of our event sponsors.”
The goal is to raise awareness about the significance of blood donation and encourage guests and the local community to unite in positively impacting the lives of others, she added. – Lyna Mohamad
