Jerusalem MDA opens new blood-donation facility

Officials call on public to make donations as blood bank runs very low during summer.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
WOMEN DONATE blood at the Magen David Adom station 370 (photo credit: Courtesy MDA)
WOMEN DONATE blood at the Magen David Adom station 370
(photo credit: Courtesy MDA)
Magen David Adom’s blood bank is running very low, which is usual during the summer vacation period.
Officials called on the public make donations, which will be easier in Jerusalem starting on Wednesday, when a new blood collection facility opens.
Jerusalem’s Bloomberg MDA station near the western entrance to the capital, named in memory of the father of the mayor of New York, will open its expansive hall. Some 20,000 Jerusalemites and others – including foreign tourists – are expected to donate blood there each year.
Built according to international standards, the hall is comfortable, with free parking and a place to rest before and after giving blood. There are separate rooms where would-be donors will be asked about their medical history to protect their privacy. This is also suitable for observant Jews who want separation of the sexes (according to the demands of the ultra- Orthodox). There is a place for washing hands after giving blood.
The facility is also wheelchair accessible.
Collection hours are from 8 a.m. to 4.45 p.m., Sundays to Thursdays, and from 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on Fridays.
Donors are entitled to a year of blood insurance for themselves and their immediate families.
Of the city’s 780,000 residents, there are nearly 25,000 registered blood donors, who constitute just 3 percent of the population. Last year, 43,587 pints were collected from residents of greater Jerusalem.
During the opening ceremony at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, certificates will be presented to the two record-breaking donors.
Mordechai Mamo gave 105 pints during his lifetime, while Judy Ann Cohen contributed 59.