LANI

ROSE R DIZON DOHA QATAR remained the country with the highest rate of voluntary blood donation in the region for the second year in a row, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) statistics showed on Thursday.

HMC’s Blood Donor Unit remained a 100 percent volunteer- based system for the second consecutive year making Qatar one of the 60 countries of the world with a completely donation-based blood transfer system, according to data unveiled at the annual gala marking the World Blood Donor Day celebrations in Doha.

The number of blood donors rose from 13, 287 in 2010 to 14, 927 in 2011 and the number of units collected rose from 17, 321 in 2010 to 19, 352 in 2011. The number of platelets donors increased from 297 in 2010 to 367 in 2011 and the number of blood donation drives conducted in 2011 stood at 262 against 191 in 2010.

The number male blood donors rose from 16, 891 in 2010 to 18, 844 in 2011 while the number of female blood donors rose from 430 to 508 in the same period. While the number of Qatari blood donors rose from 3, 864 in 2010 to 4,056 in 2011, the number of non-Qatari donors rose to 15,296