By The Star Staff
Manuel Calderón Cerame, a municipal legislator in San Juan who is running for a seat in the island House of Representatives, called on all San Juan residents who are in a condition to do so to donate blood in the different facilities that provide the service.
“Today is a great day to give the gift of life and raise awareness about the need for blood and platelets,” the Popular Democratic Party municipal legislator said. “The issue of blood supplies in Puerto Rico, especially at Christmas time, is recurrent and it is required that there be safe levels for attending to all the cases that arrive at hospitals. In fact, the medical technologist at the Blood Bank of the Río Piedras Medical Center, Lymar Agosto, urged citizens to make blood donations. We join that call.”
In fact, Agosto said, the refrigerators of the aforementioned blood component collection center have only 45 units of type A positive red blood cells, and 38 O positive units, when they are supposed
to have between 100 and 200 units of red blood cells each. That would be to cover perhaps an emergency event.
If the supplies of the Blood Bank in the Medical Center are exhausted, the Medical Services Administration would have to buy the blood components from other institutions, such as the Mutual Services Blood Bank and the Red Cross.
“Unfortunately, during the Christmas season, car and other motor vehicle accidents, the use of pyrotechnics, and the assignments of other hospitals to the emergency room, the Medical Center, as well as gunshot wounds, among other cases, increase,” Calderón Cerame said. “Hence the importance of setting aside a little time and giving this gift of life. Let’s start 2024 with better blood supplies.”
The Blood Bank is next to the multi-story parking lot of the Medical Center, located on Highway 22 in the Monacillos neighborhood of Río Piedras. The phone number is (787) 777-3535, ext. 6550, or 787-787-3844. According to the facility’s website, it is usually open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, but it is advisable to call to find out about the process.