Blood reserves drop, hospitals face shortage of blood

Doctor Phu Chi Dung, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital, on July 23, said that in the past weeks, the number of Covid-19 cases had increased rapidly, greatly affecting the voluntary blood donation movement nationwide, as well as in HCMC.
Blood reserves drop, hospitals face shortage of blood ảnh 1 Blood donation at the HCMC Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital. (Photo: SGGP)
From July 9, HCMC started implementing social distancing following Directive No.16, so most blood donation activities were canceled or stopped, leading to decreasing blood reserves at the Blood Bank. The number of blood bags received is only 30-50 bags per day, only one-tenth of the blood that HCMC needs to supply to nearly 150 local hospitals, including hospitals treating Covid-19 patients.

At present, the blood stockpile of the hospital is exhausting. It is expected that in the next seven days, it will reach an alarming threshold of less than 3,000 blood bags. Besides, a local shortage of blood in some blood types will occur if the blood reserves are not promptly replenished in the next few days, especially type O blood. The Blood Bank of HCMC Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital and the Blood Donation Center of HCMC hope that authorities will pay attention, maintain a local blood donation schedule at an appropriate scale, and make appointments with blood donors in various time frames to both ensure safety for them and have enough blood to give first-aid and treatment to patients. At the same time, it would provide enough blood for treatment and emergency work at hospitals in HCMC, Doctor Phu Chi Dung said.

Blood donation in HCMC can be made at HCMC Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital at 118 Hong Bang Street, Ward 12, District 5, phone: 028.3955.7858 - 0919.660.010. Blood Donation Center of HCMC at 106 Thien Phuoc Street, Tan Binh District, phone: 028.3868.5507 - 0937.587.299.

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