KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- SOCCSKSARGEN's Regional Development Council (RDC 12) has urged local government units to shore up support to Republic Act 7719, also known as the "National Blood Services Act of 1994, which promotes voluntary blood donation to provide sufficient supply of safe blood and to regulate blood banks.
In its recent meeting, the RDC 12 passed Resolution No. 21 enjoining the provinces of Cotabato and Sarangani to organize their respective Provincial Blood Councils to support the Regional Council for Blood Services in compliance with DOH AO 2010-001 and Resolution No. 22 encouraging LGUs and component cities in the region to establish or reactivate their Local Blood Councils in support of DOH AO 2010-002.
DOH Administrative Order 2010-001 pertains to the policies and guidelines for the Philippine National Blood Services (PNBS) and the Blood Services Network while DOH AO 2010-002 refers to the policies and guidelines pertinent to the establishment and operation of Local Blood Councils to support the implementation of the National Voluntary Blood Services Program for blood safety and adequacy, quality care and patient safety.
Private Sector Representative Carlito Uy, chairperson of the RDC 12's Regional Social Development Committee (RSDC), said "DOH Administrative Order 2010-001 Section 5-F, states that every region, province, highly urbanized city shall establish their local blood councils that shall support the Regional Blood Services Network.
"Currently the following are the only local government units in region with active blood councils: the provinces of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat and the city of General Santos."
Municipalities in the region with active local blood councils are Bagumbayan, President Quirino, Esperanza, and Lebak, all in the province of Sultan Kudarat, Uy added.
"Given that not all provinces have organized their local blood councils in the region DOH XII enjoined the provinces and LGUs to establish or reactivate their respective local blood councils to support the RA 7719 and in compliance with the DOH AO 2010-001 and DOH AO 2010-002," PSR Uy said.
As defined in the mentioned DOH administrative orders, a local blood council is a "non–profit, non-governmental, multi-sectoral group whose members come from the government and private sectors in the local community committed to supporting the blood program. Its main objective is to plan and implement a local blood donation program."
The RSDC 12 has recommended to the RDC 12 for the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Soccsksargen Region (DOH-CHD 12) to monitor the compliance of the LGUs to the resolutions and to provide updates on the functionality of the local blood councils in the future meetings of the RSDC. (PIA SOCCSKSARGEN)
