Blood banks’ supplies dwindling amid pandemic, donors wanted

• UPDATE 12.20AM | Added a similar plea from Malacca Hospital and the reason for the shortage.
  

CORONAVIRUS | The National Blood Centre is pleading for donors to come forward and help replenish supplies.

It said its blood supplies are low and diminishing amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The National Blood Centre asks for your goodwill to come forward to donate blood immediately.

“Donations can be done at static donation centres,” it said in a Facebook post today.

It said donors may approach the National Blood Centre (Kuala Lumpur), the Mid Valley Donation Suite (Kuala Lumpur), PuspanitaPuri blood donation suite (Putrajaya), and blood banks located in each state.

It also released a pamphlet listing the do’s and don’ts for potential donors in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.

It said there is no evidence of Covid-19 transmission through blood transfusions to date.

Nevertheless, it said those confirmed to have Covid-19 are not allowed to donate blood for 28 days from the date they recover.

Likewise, those who are asymptomatic but had "close contact" with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 patients are not allowed to donate blood for 28 days.

Also, those who are asymptomatic but had been to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, and Iran are not allowed to donate blood for 28 days from the date they arrive from those countries.

Those who experience symptoms of any illness, or had any close contact within 14 days after donation, are urged to contact the relevant state or national blood banks immediately.

Meanwhile, the Malacca Hospital Transfusion Medicine Department has made a similar appeal for blood.

Bernama quoted the department saying that the hospital needs between 80 to 90 bags of blood per day, but many of its blood donation campaigns have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Although we are dealing with a pandemic currently, there are patients in the hospital who need blood transfusion every day for their survival.

“Therefore, we called out healthy and non-risky individuals, to come to the Melaka hospital blood bank to donate blood, since in this situation, transfusions can only be done there,” it said in a statement.

Keep up with the latest information on the outbreak in the country with Malaysiakini's free Covid-19 tracker.