VietNamNet Bridge – There is a serious lack of O and A blood types at Blood Transfusion Centers in many provinces and cities like Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, and Dien Bien.

Every day the Central Institute of Haematology - Blood Transfusion needs 1200-1500 units of blood to serve the needs of treatment of more than 120 hospitals in Hanoi. However, in recent days the volume of blood collected from donors has fallen while the needs of the patients have increased.

Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, Director of the Central Institute of Haematology - Blood Transfusion said: "Starting from the New Year, the Institute as well as many other hospitals have lacked blood."

Professor Tri said normally blood type A must reach 20% of total blood storage but some days, the volume of blood type A at the Institute was under 4%. On January 1, the supply of blood type A was insufficient. Bach Mai Hospital needed 100 units of blood type A, but it was only allocated one unit. Shortages of blood types A and O are at a peak and the risk is anticipated to extend to after the Lunar New Year.

To deal with this situation, the Institute has organized many blood donor programs. More than 3,000 messages were sent to blood donors with the blood type A but the institute collected nearly 100 units. In the first week of 2015, the Institute’s mobile blood collection teams received only 30-50 units of blood per day.

At 80 km from Hanoi, the Thai Nguyen Blood Transfusion Center encountered a similar situation. On January 5, the center’s blood storage was less than 50 units, while the demand per day is 30-40 units.

The center’s deputy director, Nguyen Kieu Giang, said, to solve this difficulty, the center had to mobilize relatives to donate blood. For emergency cases, the center called for help from volunteers and students of Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Blood transfusions have been delayed for many patients due to insufficient blood storage.

The Blood Transfusion Center of Hai Phong is now in severe shortage of blood type A. On January 5 the center had less than 50 units of blood of all types while blood type A was nearly exhausted. A blood donation campaign will be launched here on January 10.

Location for blood donation: Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, from 7h30 to 20h (Saturdays and Sundays); Phone (04) 38686008 - 0982 666 028.

Le Ha