Due to lack of fund, Jakarta Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) is yet able to build Blood Transfusion Unit (UTD) facility in each municipality. Thus far, only Jakarta PMI Headquarter and North Jakarta have such facility.

UTD is very important to assist Jakarta PMI Headquarter. With the existence of UTD in regions, people would be served quickly

Jakarta PMI Chairman, Rini Sutiyoso, said that considering blood needs continue to increase, UTD facility will gradually be built in South Jakarta, Central Jakarta, West Jakarta, East Jakarta, and Seribu Islands.

“UTD is very important to assist Jakarta PMI Headquarter. With the existence of UTD in regions, people would be served quickly,” she stated, Saturday (12/13).

According to Rini, UTD facility includes blood storage or blood bank and detector for four diseases, namely HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis (TBC).

“In the future, a device to detect more diseases will be developed. Of course, its operation is done in cooperation with the nearest hospital,” she said.

In that occasion, Jakarta PMI also gave appreciation to 230 blood donors who have donated blood consecutively for about 75-100 times. This appreciation is routinely given every year by Jakarta PMI.

Those 230 blood donors consist of 220 men and 10 women. The amount of blood collected within one year from them reached 22.5 liters which donated to the needy, including the people who live in buffer zones, such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi.

“Blood donor is dominated by man because woman has many disturbances, like menstruation, giving birth, et cetera,” explained Rini.

One of the blood donors, R Sujono (R), admitted that he has donated his blood for 35 years. In a year, he can donate his blood 100 times. This year is his last year donating blood due to old age. He is the oldest donor out of 230 donors.

“I’ve donate blood since 1979. At that time, the requirement to process driving license (SIM) at the City Police was willing to donate blood. Apparently, I’ve become addicted until now. I donated blood at least once in every three months,” uttered this Forestry Ministry civil servant retiree.