SAUDI ARABIA: Celebrities join list of blood donors in Riyadh

Record ID: 1532779

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Celebrities join list of blood donors in Riyadh
  • Date: 12th April 2010
  • Summary: (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF MOBILE BLOOD BANK BELONG TO KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL VIEW INSIDE MOBILE BLOOD BANK DOCTOR PREPARING TO TAKE BLOOD DONATIONS VARIOUS OF SAUDI MEDIA CELEBRITY MONA ABU SULAIMAN DONATING BLOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MONA ABU SULAIMAN, SAUDI MEDIA CELEBRITY AND SECRETARY GENERAL OF PRINCE AL-WALEED BIN TALAL CHARITY FOUNDATION, SAYING: "I was invited to donate blood with other media colleagues to start a campaign to help Saudi citizens, or Arab citizens, to learn how important blood donation is. We have a very big problem which is a very big shortage at the Saudi blood bank. What is happening often, when there is person who had an accident or if he needs a surgery, people rush to donate blood for him. It should not be this way. It would be safer if there was any accident and there was blood already stored which can be used to treat the case." DOCTOR HANDLING BAG WITH DONATED BLOOD VARIOUS OF DOCTOR FILING DONATION FORM FOR SAUDI ACTOR FAYEZ AL-MALIKI VARIOUS OF SAUDI ACTOR DONATING BLOOD BAG BEING FILLED WITH BLOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FAYEZ AL-MALIKI, SAUDI ACTOR AND UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR FOR THE UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF) TO THE GULF COUNTRIES, SAYING: "In all honesty, what we are missing is a media culture. Many people have no background knowledge about donation, kidneys, cancer, diabetes, autism -- the culture of how to deal with the sick. We, as viewers, are missing this media that provides us with this knowledge and broadens our minds and gives the viewer an idea about it, it's something beautiful. I am sure that the presence of athletes, artists, writers, here today-- anyone who sees us today, will donate their blood and this means something very beautiful." DOCTOR FILLING BLOOD DONATION REQUEST FOR A PHOTOGRAPHER CLOSEUP OF NEEDLE BEING INSERTED INTO ARM VARIOUS OF PHOTOGRAPHER DONATING BLOOD MACHINE HOLDING BAG OF BLOOD DOCTOR ARRANGING MEDICAL DRESSINGS, GAUZE, ETC WOMEN WAITING TO DONATE BLOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ABDUL HAMEED AL-AWAM, CHIEF OF NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR BLOOD DONATION AND TV ACTOR AND PRODUCER, SAYING: "In fact ,the message reached most of my colleagues, actors in the artistic community, and they welcomed this campaign, supported it, attended and donated their blood for patients and thanks to God, attendance has been very good; people are racing to donate blood for the country." POSTER READING IN ARABIC: BLOOD DONATION EVENING CAMPAIGN FOR THE BENEFIT OF PATIENTS OF KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL
  • Embargoed: 27th April 2010 09:10
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: Health
  • Reuters ID: LVA2DTTMJFEQ0PE8VHWPD1M2X6BR
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Actor and television producer Abdul Hameed al-Awam initiated a blood donation campaign in Riyadh that saw celebrities on Saturday (April 10) offering their own blood to assist patients.
    The evening event was also supported by the Association of Culture and Arts in Riyadh.
    Participation at the event ranged from media stars, television actors, businessmen, journalists, artists and athletes.
    "I was invited to donate blood with other media colleagues to start a campaign to help Saudi citizens, or Arab citizens, to learn how important blood donation is. We have a very big problem which is a very big shortage at the Saudi blood bank," said Saudi media celebrity Mona Abu Salaiman.
    Medical staff working in the mobile blood bank belonging to King Faisal Specialist Hospital greeted donors before assisting them in filling forms and finally inserting a needle to extract their blood to be stored for later use by patients.
    Donated blood can save lives for those who have been in an accident and lost too much of their own blood. But its cells can also be separated for a variety of other uses including treatment for cancer, bone marrow failure and haemophilia among others.
    "In all honesty, what we are missing is a media culture. Many people have no background knowledge about donation, kidneys, cancer, diabetes, autism -- the culture of how to deal with the sick. We, as viewers, are missing this media that provides us with this knowledge and broadens our minds and gives the viewer an idea about it, it's something beautiful. I am sure that the presence of athletes, artists, writers, here today-- anyone who sees us today, will donate their blood and this means something very beautiful," said Saudi actor Fayez al-Maliki, who is also a goodwill ambassador representing the Gulf states at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
    Al-Awam said the campaign had received widespread support.
    "In fact ,the message reached most of my colleagues, actors in the artistic community, and they welcomed this campaign, supported it, attended and donated their blood for patients and thanks to God, attendance has been very good; people are racing to donate blood for the country," he said.
    The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre is an 894-bed multi-facility, multi-entity tertiary care hospital and one of the leading healthcare institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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