The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday launched a three-day blood donation campaign to encourage its faculty, members of foreign embassies and their families to donate blood during the International Day for Blood Donation. “I hope this campaign reaches its humanitarian goal which cannot be reached by financial funding but through the individual generosity and blood donation of individuals.” said Prince Khaled Bin Saud Bin Khaled, Deputy Foriegn Minister, during his inauguration of the campaign. “This campaign has come forth through the instructions of Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who wanted the ministry and ‘Kingdom of Humanity' to participate in all social and humanitarian activities,” he said. Burkina Faso Ambassador to Riyadh, the World's Health Organization Regional Manager Dr. Awad Abu Zaid, Deputy Minister of Health Laboratory and Blood Bank, Abdullah Al-Darees, and Deputy Head of the Red Cross Dr. Saleh Al-Tuwijeri, attended the launch of the campaign. The three-day campaign starts Saturday in four locations in Riyadh which includes the ministry headquarters, the Diplomatic Institute, the Diplomatic Quarters and at the Health Center in Mohamadiyah District (for women). The Foreign Ministry offices in Jeddah and Dammam and Saudi representatives abroad will also be opening their doors for blood donations throughout the three-day campaign. Meanwhile, Okaz quoted Abdullah Al-Daries, Assistant Deputy Minister of Health for Laboratories and Blood Bank, as saying that two cases of contaminated blood were detected. He indicated that the donors were not properly tested, adding that there is no such thing as a 100 percent safe blood. __
