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Residents affected with sickle and Mediterranean anemia to be offered blood transfusion services, says Al-Mane

26 April 2008

The Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Mane has directed all MOH hospitals to provide residents affected with hereditary blood diseases (sickle cell anemia and Mediterranean anemia) the same blood transfusion services provided to citizens. As per the directives of the Minister of Health such services must be provided without requesting the patients or their relatives to compensate for the blood offered to them, said MOH official spokesman Dr. Khalid Al-Marghalani.

"MOH would like to confirm that such services are provided at all hospitals in the different parts of the Kingdom", he said.

He said the results of pre-marriage checkups have shown that about 4.27% of Saudis are carriers of sickle cell anemia, whereas about 0.0028% of them are affected by the disease. Moreover, about 2.37% of Saudis are carriers of Mediterranean anemia, whereas about 0.05% of them are affected by the disease.