Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen (standing second right) visits donors at a blood donation event at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health in Hanoi.

It is challenging for local medical centers to concurrently combat Covid-19, which is linked to the new coronavirus, and step up efforts to increase the supply of blood for medical treatment.

The spread of the disease has driven down the number of blood donors, stated Do Xuan Tuyen, deputy minister of Health, at a blood donation event held by the ministry on March 12 in Hanoi, reported VietnamPlus.

The National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion has 13,000 units of blood left in stock, which are just enough for use over the next several days.

Vietnam’s national health authority explained that blood stores meet some 70% of the demand. The shortage of blood usually occurs during summer and the Tet holiday.

According to the World Health Organization, one out of 80 patients is in need of blood and blood products and every 1,000 hospital beds will need some 7,000 blood donors. For a developing country like Vietnam with a population of 96 million as of 2019, some two million units of blood are needed a year.

Scores of patients are in critical condition due to the blood shortage. No substitutes to human blood have been found to date, despite multiple studies being conducted.

Thus, the Deputy Health Minister stressed that blood remains the key requirement for medical treatment, emergencies, disaster prevention and ensuring national security. People are encouraged to donate their blood to save others’ lives, he said.

Since last week, the return of Covid-19 to Vietnam has had a severe impact on all aspects of social life, noted Dr Bach Quoc Khanh, head of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

As many as 70 blood donation events, with some 12,000 units expected to be collected this month, have been postponed because of the disease. This situation may continue in the coming months, he remarked.

Based on research on viral respiratory diseases such as SARS, MERS and Covid-19, the head of the national blood institution added that there is no evidence proving that these viruses can be transmitted through blood.

Accordingly, the Health Ministry has called on State agencies and the community to jointly donate blood to assist with medical treatment and emergencies while complying with the ministry’s instructions in fighting the disease.

Health sector calls for blood donation

The health sector has called on medical staff and the community to respond to blood donation at the Le hoi Xuan hong (Red Spring) blood donation festival at the headquarter of the Ministry of Health in Hanoi on March 12.

Jointly organised by the health sector’s Trade Union and the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT), the event aims to encourage health staff and the community to participate in voluntary blood donation and to ease the blood shortage during and after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday period.

In the context of the Covid-19 outbreak in Hanoi, the amount of blood collected has decreased sharply to around 60 units daily, 20 times lower than last month’s average of 1,200 units per day, according to the health ministry.

NIHBT Director Dr Bach Quoc Khanh said 70 blood donation events that were expected to collect 12,000 blood units were delayed since the outbreak of COVID-19.

In the current context of the COVID-19, the NIHBT will ensure the blood collection and supply with three criteria, including safety for blood donors, safety for patients and safety for medical staff, said Khanh, adding that donors will be given a mask and hand sanitiser before registering to donate blood.

The health sector said that blood collection currently has met 70 percent of blood demand for emergency aid and treatment at hospitals across the country./.VNA/SGT

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