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Blood donation campaign launched in Algiers

ALGIERS- A blood donation campaign has been launched Sunday by the National Office for Cleaning (ONA) and the National Blood Agency (ANS), in order to meet hospitals' needs in this vital matter which was "increasingly lacking" during lockdown period.

In a statement to APS, the ONA official for communication Meriem Ouyahia said that this "campaign launched today doesn't concern only the staff of the ONA but it is open to all the citizens willing to donate their blood to address the increasing lack suffered by hospitals in recent months."

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, hospitals nationwide suffered from shortages in blood, because of the fear of some citizens of possible contamination with Coronavirus, despite preventive health measures taken by hospitals and fixed and mobile blood transfusion centers, she added.

In such critical situation due to the pandemic, a significant number of patients, especially children, need this vital material, she underlined. The blood bags collected during this one-day operation will be intended for the Samir Zemirli hospital (El-Harrach), said Ouyahia.

This solidarity initiative aims to encourage citizens to continue to donate their blood, despite the pandemic, in order to save human lives, Ouyahia said.