Blood supplies in S'pore up to moderate level after donors respond to appeal
Blood stocks here have increased to moderate levels after donors answered the call for donation last month.
More than 10,000 donors across all blood groups stepped up - about 21 per cent of them were first-time donors and about 15 per cent were youth donors.
In a joint media statement on Monday (Aug 8), the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) thanked all donors who came forward to donate blood in July.
Last month, the SRC appealed for people with A+ and O+ blood types to donate blood, with stocks of both types running critically low. At that time, the SRC said stock was running low due to high usage of these two blood types and lower-than-normal donor turn out.
Among the reasons the lowered the Republic's blood supply was the current wave of Covid-19 infections, said the SRC.
Mr Benjamin William, chief executive and secretary-general of the SRC - the Republic's national blood donor recruiter - said SRC was encouraged by the donors' "spirit of solidarity".
He added: "We hope this will be the start of a lifelong journey for first-time and youth blood donors. Blood donation is a shared responsibility and must be a part of the national psyche. It is crucial that we have a constant stream of donors to ensure that patients can receive a blood transfusion whenever they need one."
SRC and HSA added in their statement that about 400 units of blood are needed to meet daily needs and that regular blood donation is the key to a stable blood supply.
As blood has a short shelf life of six weeks for red cells and seven days for platelets, SRC and HSA seek the continued support of blood donors to donate at least twice a year to ensure that there is always sufficient blood for patients in Singapore.
Miss Amirah Arman, 27, receives a blood transfusion every three weeks. Born with Beta Thalassemia Major, a genetic blood disorder that stops the body from reproducing red blood cells, she started receiving monthly blood transfusions when was seven years old.
She said : "Every pack of blood makes a difference, and I thank all donors, regardless of blood group."
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