The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, awarded Executive Affairs Deputy Minister, Dr. Mansour Naser Al Howasi, with a Medal of Merit for hi recent donation of blood.
Dr. Al Howasi expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Leadership for their generous support and continuous concern for the nation’s healthcare services. He expressed his gratitude for the honor, and stressed that that donating blood is a noble humanitarian practice that contributes to lives. He added that donating has health benefits for donors, as well.
The General Director of Blood Banks and Laboratories, Dr. Ibrahim Al Omar, stated that honoring blood donors exemplified the Leadership’s encouragement to the public to participate in this important charitable activity. The Kingdom has always been keen to serve citizens and to provide them with all the benefits of a strong healthcare system; Dr. Al Howasi’s blood donation underscores this commitment.
Moreover, Dr. Al Omar urged everyone to donate blood to help others, as well as to end the need for the Kingdom to import blood supplies or to rely on paid donations. In 1987, the Kingdom was among the first national to stop importing blood from abroad; imported blood has the potential to transmit and spread diseases and epidemics through contaminated donations. Blood donation campaigns are launched year round to secure an adequate blood supply and to provide patients with the blood they need free of charge.
Last Monday, His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Rabeeah, honored public sectors that support bold donation campaigns, and awarded each donor with a Medal of Merit from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The ceremony coincided with the MOH’s celebration of World Blood Donor Day, marked annually by the World Health Organization. This year’s campaign slogan is “More Blood…More Life.”