Guidelines on Local Blood Councils Operation

Legal basis and policy rationale

The order implements the National Blood Services Act of 1994 (Republic Act No. 7719), which promotes and encourages voluntary blood donation by the citizenry.
Republic Act No. 7719 requires mobilization of all sectors to participate in mechanisms for voluntary and non-profit collection of blood.
The order establishes Local Blood Councils to obtain and organize community participation to spearhead local voluntary blood donation programs.
The order positions community participation as a main source of low-risk healthy regular volunteer blood donors.
The order requires Local Blood Councils to support the Regional Blood Services Network and integrate with existing health initiatives and financing at the community level.

Coverage and organizations covered

The order applies to all community-based organizations established and operated to promote voluntary donation and to support the collection and provision of safe and adequate blood and blood components for transfusion under the National Voluntary Blood Services Program.
A Local Blood Council should be established in every region, province, and highly urbanized city.
Local Blood Councils are encouraged in component cities, districts, municipalities, and barangays.
The order further states that Local Blood Councils support the Regional Blood Services Network, covering blood services within their localities and catchment areas.

Definitions used in the guidelines

An APHERESIS FACILITY is a blood service facility where whole blood is removed, a selected component is separated, and the remainder is returned to the donor.
A BLOOD CENTER (BC) is a non-hospital based blood service facility licensed by the DOH Bureau of Health Facilities and Services (BHFS) to process blood units into components and test for five (5) infectious disease markers, with detailed capabilities in A.O. No. 2008-0008.
A BLOOD COLLECTION UNIT (BCU) is a blood service facility authorized by the DOH Center for Health Development (CHD) whose main function is to collect blood from volunteer non-remunerated blood donors, with detailed capabilities in A.O. No. 2008-0008.
A BLOOD DONOR PANEL consists of persons recruited and willing to donate blood and who may be called upon at any time to donate.
A BLOOD DONOR REGISTRY is a list of registered blood donors, including ABO group and Rh type and identity and contact information (complete name, address, telephone number, e-mail address).
A BLOOD SERVICE FACILITY (BSF) is a unit, agency, or institution providing blood products, including Blood Station, Blood Collection Unit, Hospital Blood Bank, and Blood Center (National, Sub-national, and Regional); Blood Centers are classified into Regional, Sub-national and National as assigned by the National Council for Blood Services (NCBS).
A BLOOD SERVICES NETWORK is an informal organization serving the blood needs of a specific geographical area or catchment population, composed of a designated blood center, hospital blood banks, blood collection units, blood stations, and end-user hospitals/non-hospital health facilities; it must aim for efficient distribution of voluntarily donated blood, maximize utilization, and avoid wastage.
A BLOOD STATION (BS) is a blood service facility authorized by DOH CHD whose main function is storage, issuance, transport, and distribution of whole blood and packed red cells, with detailed capabilities in A.O. No. 2008-0008.
A DIRECTORY OF DONOR REGISTRIES is an index of blood donor registries by agency or barangay, including complete names, addresses, and other contact information.
A HOSPITAL BLOOD BANK is a blood service facility in a hospital licensed by DOH CHD, with capabilities enumerated in A.O. No. 2008-0008.
A LOCAL BLOOD COUNCIL is a non-profit, non-governmental, multi-sectoral group with members from government and private sectors in the local community committed to support the blood program; it plans and implements a local blood donation program consistent with DOH policies and guidelines on Local Blood Councils.

Local council structure and required setup

The Local Blood Council must be composed of representatives from various community sectors, including Local Government Units, National Government Agencies in the localities, Local Health Services, Hospitals, PNRC and Dugong Pinoy Chapters, Health Professional Associations, Schools, Military and Police establishments, civic/religious organizations, Business and agricultural sectors, and mass media.
The Local Blood Council must be organized as a Non-governmental organization with members from both government and private sectors.
A Local Blood Council may be established through any of the following:
- a Memorandum of Agreement among member organizations designating the Lead Agency and the Custodian of Funds;
- a creation by an Ordinance passed by the appropriate Sanggunian or by an Executive Order of the local government executive;
- attachment to the Regional Blood Council and the National Council for Blood Services of the NVBSP.
Every region, province, and highly urbanized city must establish a Local Blood Council to support the Regional Blood Services Network through public education, donor recruitment, coordination/conduct of mobile blood donation activities, and provision of human and financial resources.
A Local Blood Council must have a Local Voluntary Blood Donation Program with the following objectives:
- General Objective: plan and coordinate implementation of a local program to ensure adequate supply of safe blood for the community.
- Specific Objectives: ensure adequate blood supply through promotion of voluntary donation; mobilize human resource/facilities/financial support for local education and donor recruitment; organize mobile donations in coordination with the Regional Blood Center and authorized BCUs; organize hospitals and other community health services into a functional network consistent with the Inter-Local Health Zone (ILHZ); and assist the local blood services network in education, recruitment, mobile donation organization, and provision of human and financial resources.
The Local Blood Council must elect an Executive Board with at least 11 members.
The Executive Board must elect Officers from the Board consisting of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, PRO, Auditor, and such other officers as deemed necessary.
The Executive Board must create committees to plan and implement components of the Local Blood Donation Program, including:
- Executive Committee
- Committee on Public Education
- Committee on Donor Recruitment
- Committee on Mobile Blood Donation
- Committee on Ways and Means
A Local Blood Donation Program Coordinator must be designated by the Local Government Health Officer.

Functions, governance duties, and limits

The Local Blood Council must participate in formulating the Local Blood Donation Program that fulfills community needs for blood transfusion.
The Local Blood Council must plan and implement public education, advocacy, and donor recruitment activities to promote voluntary blood donation.
The Local Blood Council must organize mobile blood collection activities in coordination with blood centers and authorized BCUs.
The Local Blood Council must spearhead and/or assist in fund-sourcing and fund-raising within the community and from external governmental and non-governmental organizations, financial institutions, or agencies.
The Local Blood Council must strengthen linkages of local hospitals, emergency obstetric care facilities (BEmONC/CEmONC), and health services with the Blood Center(s).
The Local Blood Council must coordinate and monitor implementation of the Local Blood Donation Program.
The Local Blood Council is prohibited from setting up or operating a blood service facility.

Local program strategies, activities, and indicators

The Local Blood Council must implement strategies for the Local Blood Donation Program consisting of:
- Public Education
- Recruitment of blood donors
- Mobile Blood Donations
The Local Blood Council must coordinate and assist in implementing a functional network for blood provision among government and private hospitals and the blood centers to ensure access to blood by all patients and avoid wastage.
The Local Blood Council must hold award ceremonies to recognize the importance of contributions of blood donors, donor recruiters, and supporting organizations.
The operational plan of the Local Blood Council must include suggested activities such as:
- planning the Local Blood Donation Program;
- forming committees to undertake strategies;
- formulating annual operational plans for each strategy;
- organizing groups for implementation of planned strategies/activities;
- formulating policies and procedures for provision and sharing of human resource, facilities, reagents, blood bags and supplies, refreshments, and funds;
- organizing and supervising an active secretariat;
- implementing strategies/activities of the Local Blood Donation Program;
- monitoring and evaluating program activities;
- reporting activities, accomplishments, and financial transactions—periodically (quarterly) to the executive board and Regional Blood Council, and annually to the general membership and Regional Blood Council.
Performance indicators must be monitored in coordination with the DOH Centers for Health Development (CHDs) and must be included in the operational plans and collected for evaluation.
Public education indicators include numbers of flyers, brochures or comics; posters/billboards; press releases/articles/features; radio/TV shows attended; and percent increases in awareness of the voluntary blood donation program and in decision to donate.
Donor recruitment indicators include number of donor recruitment officers trained; number of community meetings/seminars held; number of potential donors interviewed/signed up; number of donor clubs/registries established or members recruited; number of potential donors recruited with a target of 2% of total