BEIRUT: There’s no more precious gift one can offer than the gift of life, which makes the move by Coral employees to donate blood the most selfless and compassionate act any human being can offer. In fact, although blood donation takes just a few minutes of your time, it can mean a lifetime for someone else.
It is such community outreach efforts that lie at the core of Coral culture. As a leading Lebanese fuel importer, Coral upholds a commitment to meet and exceed its commitments to our society along avenues that go far beyond fuel. The welfare of Lebanese citizens is our top priority, and we as a company are driven to do our part to make a difference to the best of our abilities.
That’s why on the occasion of “World Blood Donor Day” on June 14, and in upholding our commitment to corporate social responsibility, alongside our many many other social undertakings we at Coral are proud to have held a blood donation campaign on June 21 during which Coral employees donated 35 units of blood at our terminal in Dora in collaboration with the Lebanese Red Cross and with the help of our Health and Safety team.
As a company that prioritizes the welfare of the community, Coral understands this pressing need, which is why it organized a blood drive in characteristic fashion for Coral employees to donate blood. Scores of employees headed down to our facilities in order to respond during hospitals’ most desperate moments.
Average adults have as much as 10 pints of blood in their bodies, of which only a pint is donated, and takes just six to eight weeks for the body to replace. But while donating blood is a simple and harmless process, it can make the difference between life and death for a patient in surgery.
Unfortunately, following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, blood donations have dropped dramatically across the world, resulting in an alarming shortage of much-needed supplies in health care. Fear of contracting coronavirus has resulted even in traditional donors refraining from donating at a time when the need for blood has never been more urgent.
Many non-governmental organizations strive to secure regular supplies of blood, reassuring donors of the safety measures that have been put in place. But even NGOs have limitations, particularly due to the availability of funds. That is why we as companies must rise to the occasion right now, during the most desperate times, in order to support and give back to the communities that are the cornerstones of our endurance. We certainly work to live up to our social responsibility in numerous ways, but none are as meaningful as offering our own blood to this great society in which we take such pride.
We also wish to set an example for others to follow, so that those who are able can also come to the aid of those in need. You don’t need to be a doctor, a surgeon or any kind of medical practitioner – with just a pint of blood you can help save a life. It is exactly for this reason that Coral intends to commit to annual blood donations to help save the lives of our compatriots.
The blood donation campaign, as well as the continuous trainings to develop a safety culture among our employees, contractors and visitors, are all in line with our vision “To sustain excellence in all aspects of the petrochemical industry.” As part of that commitment, the HSE division aims to achieve HSE Excellence, which is founded on the four main pillars “Health, Safety, Environment and Social Responsibility.”
