KOTA KINABALU – The amount of blood raised from donors during the movement control order in Sabah has been very low, with only 468 pints last month against the state’s need of 5,833 pints a month.
Leslie Chan Boon Siang, the chairman of the Sabah branch of the Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) blood donation programme, said the amount of blood collected last month could only meet the monthly need at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital here.
He said 7,732 pints of blood were collected last year through 185 blood donation programmes.
“The drop in the amount of blood collected is worrying and we hope more people will come forward to donate to ensure that we have a continuous blood supply,” he said.
Chan said MRC had conducted blood donation programmes in six districts in Sabah, namely Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Kudat, Kuala Penyu, Pitas, and Tenom.
He called on Sabahans, especially those aged between 18 and 29, to come forward to donate blood to replenish the supply.
He said they did not need to be afraid of donating because the handling of blood donations follows standard operating procedures.
The public can directly contact Chan at 013-9913119 for any inquiries. – Bernama, February 10, 2021
