(From left) Dr Norasrina, Dr Chitradavi, Mohamad Azhan and Sharipah Marhaini at the launch of the campaign.
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the National Blood Centre (PDN) launched their first blood donation campaign with the theme “Donating blood is a noble practice” at the city council’s headquarters.
Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Azhan Md Amir said, “This blood donation campaign aligns with the council’s goal for a smart, sustainable and resilient city which prioritises creating a happy, healthy and harmonious community in Petaling Jaya.
“It is important for people to donate blood and ensure that the blood bank can meet demand,” he said.
He noted that PDN frequently experienced supply shortage as many people were hesitant to donate.
“Donating blood should be viewed as a healthy and noble practice.
Dr Lim explaining the benefits of donating blood.
“By consistently organising blood donation campaigns like this, MBPJ hopes that the culture of blood donation and the level of awareness among all parties about the importance and benefits of blood donation will increase,” the mayor added.
Also at the launch were deputy mayor Sharipah Marhaini Syed Ali, MBPJ Health and Environment director Dr Chitradavi N. Vadivellu, PDN blood procurement division head and transfusion medicine specialist Dr Norasrina Ishak and PDN specialist medical officer Dr Lim Chuan Lian.
Following the event, Dr Lim gave a briefing on the benefits and advantages of blood donation, as well as outlined the processes and basic criteria needed before a person could donate blood.
Dr Norasrina suggested that donors utilise the MySejahtera app to track their donation history, including the number of times they had donated and the places where the donations were made.
Those interested in donating blood can go to www.pdn.gov.my or the National Blood Centre’s social media pages (Facebook: Pusat Darah Negara Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, Instagram: @PusatDarahNegara, Twitter: @PDNKKM) for further information.
