KUALA LUMPUR – The blood donation trend has shown an increase lately, said National Blood Centre (PDN) director Dr Noryati Abu Amin.
She said the increase was due to the concern showed by donors who have been donating blood consistently to help those in need.
This includes emergency patients for cases such accidents or complications during childbirth, premature babies who lack blood, thalassemia and cancer patients, those with kidney failure as well as those who need to undergo critical and complex surgery.
“There are also COVID-19 patients, especially those with a background of chronic diseases, who also needed blood transfusions.
“The upward trend will ensure that PDN and blood banks have sufficient blood supply as well as help increase the stock in states that are experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases,” she said in a statement uploaded on PDN’s official Facebook today.
She said this in response to a WhatsApp message claiming that blood bank of several hospitals is critically low in blood supply, which has gone viral recently.
Meanwhile, Noryati said the Health Ministry had also issued guidelines for prevention and control during blood donation activities to curb the transmission of infectious diseases.
She said the guidelines outlined various measures after blood donation activities to ensure the safety of blood donors, blood donation campaign organisers, health workers and blood transfusion recipients.
“These guidelines also set a temporary suspension period for blood donation activities for individuals who have just received a COVID-19 vaccine that are in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation,” she said.
