Month-long drive for blood donation starts in Oman

Muscat: Health authorities on Wednesday launched a month-long blood donation campaign after it emerged that donations decrease in the Holy Month of Ramadan posing serious challenges for blood banks in the Sultanate.
About 35 donation drives are scheduled to be organised during Ramadan, starting with a mobile camp at the Hilal al Khalili mosque in Bausher on Wednesday between 7pm and 11:30pm.
There are dozens of other campaigns scheduled to be held after Ramadan.
Major souqs, hypermarkets and mosques will witness donation drives aimed at collecting blood at a larger level.
Earlier on Monday, Dr Sabria Al Hashami, director of the Department of Blood Banks Services, told the Times of Oman in an exclusive interview that the department will try to encourage donors to contribute after the fasting is over every day.
“It’s prudent to try and mobilise our mobile donation cars in the evenings to locations where donors are likely to donate, including mosques and markets,” she said. Authorities usually struggle to keep the blood supply intact during Ramadan because of the usual shortage of Omani donors (who are fasting) and absence of non-Omanis, who prefer to travel or take holidays during this month. The complete list of donation venues and timings is available at - https://www.moh.gov.om/en/-13