Philippine Red Cross - Pangasinan intensifies blood donation; How important is a blood donor?

Share Life, give blood – Red Cross volunteer administers a blood donor during the Red Cross Blood Donor Recruitment and Mobile Blood Donation at Dagupan City in celebration of the World Blood Donor Day on June 14. //Jojo Riñoza

Dagupan City – In recent events surrounding deadly mosquito-born diseases and natural calamities, one essential item is in mind besides relief goods – blood supply.

Philippine Red Cross (PRC) volunteers and other volunteer groups risk life and limbs helping others and in situations a patient or victim needs blood, volunteers can’t do anything without its supply.

“A steady supply of blood is very vital in our cause”, says Riza Rodriguez Peralta, Chairperson in Blood Service. In Pangasinan alone, we (PRC) needs to maintain 120 bags of blood a day to meet the need of the whole province and that is just in a “normal” day.”

A bag of blood can actually save lives of numerous people. Each bag is tested and passes through a process depending on the needs of a patient.

It is processed into three types; (1) Whole Blood or Red cells that are used for surgery, dialysis, cesarean operations or patients with anemia. This blood expires in 35 days. (2) Frozen Plasma is used for burn patients or those with Hemophilia and expires in a year. The third is the (3) Platelet concentrate – this type maybe the most vital as it crucial to patients with dengue and also those with cancer. This expires after 5 days.

Because blood has expiration dates, “we should have a continuous supply of blood donors and volunteers,” says Flormane Magalong, Red Cross - Pangasinan Chapter Administrator

Blood sufficiency is the challenge because there is an increase in demand but the supply (donors) is not enough.  This is the reason why PRC is intensifying blood donations, she added.

PRC also advocates the implementation of the National Blood Service Act that encompasses education and awareness campaign between local governments for the creation of blood council, blood donor recruitment, mobile blood donation activities and on the importance of voluntary blood donation.

Recently, PRC - Pangasinan launches the “DUROLYMPICS 2: Donor at Recruiter, yan and idol teacher” project, a blood-letting-awareness program in partnership with the Department of Education and other civic groups.

The yearlong project joined by the five DEPED Divisions in Pangasinan aims to “continuously help patients and have adequate and safe supply of blood in times of need.”

Last year the project contributed 1,252 blood units and is now targeting 3,000 bags of blood.

Participating teachers said bringing people to donate blood is not an easy task. They said “Religion and ‘ignorance’ are hindrance on this”. In some cases, people want to donate their blood but their religion forbids them. Others have a wrong understanding about it that it might have bad effects on them.

We hope by the teachers’ help as blood donors they can still in the minds of their pupils the importance of donating blood in saving others people lives, Magalong added.###

Filipino Fishery Expert advocates Biological Solution to Fight Dengue

Mosquito fish - It is known locally in Pangasinan as “Itar” or “Tuyong” in Ilocano and “Katapa” in Tagalog. Generally, males reach 1.5 in (3.8 cm) and females 2.5 in (6.4 cm). These fish are a livebearer species, and as such, the females are larger and more rounded than the males. //february06,2018//Dagupancity,Pangasinan//jojo riñoza/manila bulletin

Dagupan City, Pangasinan – With controversies surrounding the Dengue vaccine - Dengvaxia and increasing number of suspected dengue cases in Pangasinan, Fisheries expert at the National Integrated Fisheries Technology and Development Center of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources  (BFAR-NIFTDC) advocates for the use of a “biological” but cheaper way to battle the virus-carrying mosquito.

Increasing Dengue cases

In a recent report of the Provincial Heath Office (PHO), over 534 suspected cases of dengue were recorded in the province since January 1 to February 5. This is 300% higher compared to the same period last year.

Ten (10) towns and cities are gravely affected and placed in the dengue watch list. Urdaneta City has the higher incidence with 82 cases and 1 death followed by Binmaley with 40 cases and also 1 death reported. Other places in the watch list are Santa Barbara, Lingayen, Mangaldan, Binalonan, Pozzorubio, Asingan, San Carlos City and Bayambang.

“Ngayon po wala naman po tayong idinedeklarang epidemya dahil wala naman pong clustering of cases at iniimbistigahan pa namin itong mga kaso, tinitingnan naming kung ito ay magkakatabi o sa iisang barangay lamang” (We are not declaring an epidemic because we haven’t seen any clustering of cases and we are still investigating if the cases are clustered in a certain area or village) PHO Chief Dr. Ana De Guzman said.

 

Technicians at the BFAR-NIFTDC catch some mosquito fish on their pond.    

Biological solution

On the other hand, BFAR-NIFTDC Chief Dr. Westly Rosario is pushing for the use of mosquitofish in areas where mosquitos breed their larvae and are susceptible to carry the deadly dengue virus.

With all these worries surrounding dengue, “it is important to let the people know that we have a kind of fish that can live in places where the  mosquitos breed and this for free, says Rosario.

It is known locally in Pangasinan as “Itar” or “Tuyong” in Ilocano and “Katapa” in Tagalog. Generally, males reach 1.5 in (3.8 cm) and females 2.5 in (6.4 cm). These fish are a livebearer species, and as such, the females are larger and more rounded than the males.

Mosquitofish eats large amount of mosquito larvae that can reduce mosquito population and reduce the prevalence of diseases spread by mosquitos. They are known natural predators of mosquitos and were used in other countries to eradicate mosquito-born diseases like Malaria.

In 2012, Dr. Rosario introduced the mosquitofish in Pangasinan as an alternative biological solution to battle the growing occurrence of dengue in the province. But this was met with opposing views from the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) claiming that mosquitofish is an “invasive specie” and can be a threat to the environment.

Rosario explained, “although it is true that the mosquitofish is invasive in nature, it has been with us for so many decades and never it became a problem and for an instance, a threat to the environment.”

“In some parts of the country, it actually turn out to be a food source for some people. It is also at the food chain of many bird species,” he added.

He added that “Tilapia is also invasive and yet it is at the top 2 of the Fish of Economic Importance of the Philippines. Tahong (mussels) is also invasive specie, but it’s the top shellfish produce of the country.”

 

Technicians at the BFAR-NIFTDC catch some mosquito fish on their pond.    

“It is how you define invasive in a positive or negative way. For me, the mosquitos-spreading deadly diseases are more “invasive” than the mosquitofish. So the question is “who is the better invasive specie?” asks Rosario.

Rosario said mosquitofish can easily breed and anybody can avail it from us at the center, for free. It should be reintroduced systematically and in strategic areas to be more effective against dengue and other mosquito-born diseases.

Areas with high concentration of people like schools and communities with abandoned water ponds, canals; areas where water is stagnant and where dengue has been prevalent should be a priority.