RIYADH, Feb 16(Arab News): The police in Riyadh launched a 14-day blood donation campaign on Saturday as part of celebrations to mark the successful recovery of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah from his recent surgery in the United States.
“The blood is being donated to express our happiness at the king's recovery from his illness and to pray to Almighty Allah for the grace He has shown toward the monarch," said a Riyadh police spokesman.
He said the donation was dedicated to the king, adding that Riyadh police had requested its entire staff to participate in the campaign. Donated blood will go toward helping people injured in accidents.
The police have arranged for officers to donate blood at a chain of government hospitals and the King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH) in the capital.
Quality coordinator and supervisor of blood donation at KFSH Abdullah Al-Nowaiser said there has been an unprecedented response from the officers so far and that the hospital has received a substantial amount of blood.
Al-Nowaiser said that his hospital would also send its mobile units to police stations so that officers can save time during their work hours. “We are happy about this campaign and we expect similar cooperation from the private and public sectors to donate blood to help sick people in hospitals,” he said.
Around 500 students from the military academy of the Security Forces Hospital are also expected to participate in a similar campaign with the cooperation of the hospital this week, said Al-Nowaiser.
An official from the general directorate of Blood Banks and Laboratories said there are more than 300 blood banks throughout the Kingdom and that donors can donate blood at their own convenience. He also pointed out that there are 20,000 voluntary blood donors who have been awarded the Third Degree Medal from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for their services to the nation.
Over 500,000 citizens register to donate blood with blood banks throughout the Kingdom every year. “Some of these donors give blood several times according to their physical health,” the official said.