Director: Dr. Orly Zelig

Tel: 972-2-677-60-47

e-mail: orlyz@hadassah.org.il

Founded in 1944, the Blood Bank is open  around the clock throughout the year. It includes a Blood Donor Service, a Laboratory Service and a Hepatitis Laboratory, and is the only Hospital Blood Bank in Israel with a large frozen store of red blood cells.

Blood Donor Service

Approximately 50 percent of the whole blood red cell concentrates, platelet concentrates and frozen plasma transfused to Hadassah patients is supplied by the Blood Bank.

Since 1989 SDP by Apheresis procedures are being done for bone marrow transplanted patients and hematology patients. About 10 procedures per day are carried out. Since April 1986, all donor blood is screened for AIDS virus antibodies. Routine screening for Antibodies to HCV began in March 1991.

Laboratory Service

The Laboratory Service tests patients' blood, provides blood tests and components for transfusion, and performs paternity testing. Approximately one in every 200 patients tested carries an antibody requiring special diagnosis.

Since 1977, Hadassah has been a member of SCARF, the international rare blood exchange program, and the Medical Center's diagnostic sera have been shipped to 50 blood banks in 10 countries.