‘Donate without Gathering’ was an initiative in which mobile clinics were deployed in public places and donation requests were received via online reservations through the National Application for Blood Donation (Wateen). Other initiatives performed in parallel with the blood drive include the following:

The “Stay where you are, we will come to you” initiative is directed to visiting large families at their homes through the clinic and its specialist medical staff, considering all precautionary measures.

The “My Country without Infection” initiative, in which more than one program was implemented. The most prominent of which was providing health practitioners with medical prayer mat (one-time use). More than 10,000 medical prayer mats were distributed.

The “Donor Hospitality” initiative, in which water, juice, and snacks were provided to blood donors.

‘The Shiryan Al-Khair’ is a collaborative initiative with Al Medina Association for Genetic Haematology, in which employees from non-profit sectors participated by donating blood to cover the need for voluntary blood donations.

The association also participated in the ‘Soon We Meet’ initiative through educational films on the significance of adhering to the precautionary measures by wearing masks, social distancing, and washing/sterilizing hands continuously.

These initiatives specifically tackle themes pertinent to the workplace (through the provision of prayer mats), patients with health conditions that require blood transfusions, older populations, and public health education. These initiatives address the needs of vulnerable populations through the provision of blood, the introduction of educational programs and the establishment of mobile clinics for COVID-19 screenings. These initiatives were funded by donors and the association’s operational budget. 

The initiatives described aimed to ensure the health and safety of the local community during the onset of COVID-19.

Al Medina for Muslims is considered a global hub for psychological and physical stability and peace as it represents a sacred place for them. It is also considered a healthy city in its rejection of epidemics, according to the hadith of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The programs implemented by the government, NGOs, and private sectors reinforce this principle by taking precautionary measures and implementing preventive programs so that this city remains a place of historical significance, given the great care it receives from the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

The initiative results can be summarized as follows:

• Participants voluntarily donated blood through 4 mobile clinics, which was a perfect choice and a suitable alternative for individuals who refrain from visiting medical centres due to the fear of getting infected.
• The blood drive contributed to the reduction in overcrowding at the central blood bank.
• The existence of mobile centres is one of the means to limit the spread of the virus by providing an alternative healthy location in which the rate of human gathering reduces, which is one of the causes of the transmission of the virus infection.
• Targeting the virus spread hotspots through the specialized health sector has contributed quite significantly towards limiting the spread of the virus, and the association contributed to this through the mobile clinics.