BOVEN DIGOEL – Ensuring blood supplies in South Papua reach optimal levels, Tunas Sawa Erma (TSE) Group partnered with the Merauke branch of Indonesian Red Cross on a blood drive Saturday (8/3) at the company’s Asiki Clinic, located in Jair District, Boven Digoel Regency.
Themed “A Drop of Blood [Brings] a Million of Hopes,” this event commemorated the anniversary of Asiki Clinic and Asiki FM Radio, a community radio station established by TSE Group. In attendance were TSE Group employees, government stakeholders, locals, and other relevant parties.
Sarifa, a donor, told the PR team about her experience. “This is my first donation. I hope what I did can help others.”
Around 194 blood bags were collected from voluntary donors who passed preliminary screening.
More of these bags — millions, even — are needed each year to meet transfusion needs in hospitals nationwide, said Merauke branch leader Dr. Siti Jumiati.
But substandard distribution systems, as found in some regions, limit the availability of life-saving blood units.
What’s more, internal records show that only 91,000 blood bags are produced for the whole nation. This is far from the ideal yearly numbers, 7 million bags, which translate to 2.5% of Indonesia’s total population.
Closing this gap would require the creation of a humanitarian movement, where every member of society is involved. Through this blood drive, TSE Group and Merauke’s Red Cross expected to boost supplies, particularly for South Papua.
“Blood donations offer tremendous benefits, not only for the recipients but also for the donors. Doing this replenishes your cells and even helps you avoid cardiovascular diseases,” Dr. Jumiati added.
This event’s success is a testament to TSE Group’s hard work in ensuring enough blood is provided and bringing hope to those in need. (PR)