Three mobile blood donation units are set to appear around Doha to encourage individuals to donate blood.

Looking to donate blood? Hamad Medical Corporation’s Mobile Blood Donor Units are driving around various locations across the country as part of Doha Healthcare Week plans.

Starting Thursday, the mobile donation unit will make one visit every day to a single location. From 9am to 2pm on September 29, the unit will be at the Qatar Foundation Primary Health Care Center.

The donor unit will then be present at Bayt Al Diyafah Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City on September 30 from 8am to 2pm and at the Al Khor Mall’s main entrance (Gate 3) on October 1 from 4pm to 8pm.

From 9am to 2pm on October 2, it will be available at the Qatar Red Crescent Msheireb Galleria and the Al Wakra Health Center Female Entrance.

The donor unit will be available on the final day from 8am to 2pm at the Sidra Medical VIP gate close to the Outpatient Clinic.

Blood donation requirements

In Qatar, only those aged between 18 to 60 years are eligible to donate blood. The donors must be fit and healthy on the day of donation, as well as weigh 50 kg and above.

Potential donors must also have hemoglobin levels of at least 13g/dl for males and 12.5g/dl for females.

Upon arrival at the unit, individuals must notify the unit about any ongoing medications to ensure their safety and well-being. Those who are anemic, have hypertension, or are dependent on insulin cannot donate blood. Other diseases that prevent donation include chronic heart, lung, or circulatory illnesses. 

In addition, pregnant, lactating, or menstruating women cannot donate. Donors must also not have donated blood for the past eight weeks

‘Self-sufficient’

According to statistics released in 2021, the Gulf nation has been 100% self-sufficient in blood supply for the last 10 years thanks to thousands of regular blood donors in the country.

Voluntary blood donation meets 100% of Qatar’s needs, the highest rate in the region.

The country’s blood services receive an average of 150-250 blood units from volunteer donors daily, the senior official said, adding that over 21,000 volunteers have registered since the beginning of the year.

Qatar has stopped importing blood since 1987, relying only on voluntary donors to provide a safe and secure blood supply.