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Jordanians flock to donate blood in aftermath of terror attack

By Renad Aljadid - Aug 13,2018 - Last updated at Aug 13,2018

A few hours after the calls for blood donation, the blood bank’s shelves were completely full, according to the medical personnel (Photo by Renad Aljadid)

AMMAN — Hundreds of Jordanians on Saturday rushed to Al Salt Hospital and Al Hussein Medical City to donate blood to the victims of the weekend terrorist attack, citizens reported on Saturday.

After unknown terrorists reportedly detonated a building in Salt, hospital ambulances transferred dozens of people suffering from various injuries, triggering a great solidarity movement from citizens willing to perform their “national duty”.

Only a few hours after several social media activists and news websites circulated statements calling on citizens to donate blood for the injured, the blood bank’s shelves were “completely full”, said Mohammad Adawi, a citizen who was at Al Hussein Medical City at the time. 

“I live in Amman, but I hurried to Al Salt once I knew they needed blood,” citizen Raed Ghezawi wrote on Twitter, stressing “we are also soldiers for our country”.

A source at Al Salt Hospital told The Jordan Times that dealing with the large number of donors was “quite challenging”, adding that there were only three nurses mobilised to carry out the blood donation process facing nearly a hundred persons waiting in line.

“The donors were then asked to move to Al Hussein Medical City except for those whose blood type is O negative as there was a shortage only in this particular type,” he recalled.

For Abd Alkareem Hiary, another doctor at Al Salt Hospital: “Jordanians proved that their cohesion is stronger than any crisis. The injured have put their life at threat to protect us, so it is our duty to be by their side once they need us.” 

Despite several attempts to contact the two hospitals’ directors, The Jordan Times failed to obtain their statements.  

In another initiative to facilitate the whereabouts of donors, Careem announced offering free rides from and into Al Salt Hospital.

“We are stronger once unified,” the raid-hailing app wrote on their official platforms.

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