MOBILE BLOOD DONATION
“The quest that should never end”
Dulce S. Narvadez, R.N.

Every minute, every hour, everyday, many people needs blood. The number of persons who donates blood regularly is not sufficient enough to answer the needs of patients requiring blood transfusion. Something must be done to augment the supply of blood in the hospital to cater to these unexpected blood demands. It gave rise to the idea of Mobile Blood Donation which was also develop in response to the call of R.A. 7719 otherwise known as the “National Blood Services Act of 1994” which aims to promote voluntary blood donation and to provide  adequate supply of safe blood.

Instead of the voluntary blood donors coming to BMC Blood Bank, the NVBSP team is the one who goes to different municipalities and barangays to collect blood through the collective efforts of dedicated, hardworking nurses and medical technologists assigned in the Blood Bank and Transfusion Services of Bicol Medical Center. The team carries along with them the materials and paraphernalias needed to conduct such mobile blood donation activities unmindful of the long and tiresome journeys they make to the farthest part of the Bicol Region like Burias Islands of Masbate, coastal municipalities of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte; heedless to the dangers and perils that might cost their lives while embarking in the mission.

The job of conducting mobile blood donation does not only entail trudging rough lands or muddy places or climbing steep mountains but also crossing deep and sometimes unfriendly water. I remembered the time we went to Presentacion for our advocacy and mobile blood donation. The rain was pouring down heavily during our ride to the port of Sabang to where we were scheduled to transfer to a boat that will take us to Presentacion. We had an option of riding by land but we were alarmed of an encounter between the military and the NPA, so we opted to cross the water scared as we are of the possibility of drowning. Bad weather did not and would not stop us from fulfilling our goals. Even during our boat trip, the rain continued to pour and big waves slammed on our boat once in a while. We could not stop thinking that any moment the boat might sink and we could drown and die. We find comfort in knowing that we have each other to rely on to. We find courage knowing that a lot of people are counting on us: the blood donors waiting for us in Presentacion and the people back home who are waiting for the blood that we will be able to collect and of course, our family. We reached our destination safe and sound and returned home with the needed blood units. We both felt happy and contented for the success that we reaped. In every struggle we encounter in life there is only one thing we could hold on to: FAITH. It is the very same thing that we need to continue the work of conducting mobile blood donation. It is the one that will keep us strong whatever hardship and adversity we might stumbled upon along the way. Because as long as there are people who needs blood, our quest should carry on and never end.