Meanwhile, Can Tho City Hematology - Blood Transfusion Hospital, the blood supply unit for the area, no longer has blood collection bags and blood screening chemicals to receive humanitarian blood donations.

In its official dispatch to the People's Committee of Can Tho City, the People's Committee of Soc Trang province requested support for blood scarcity. Accordingly, Soc Trang province said that in recent times, the scarcity of blood and blood products at medical facilities in the region has persisted and become increasingly serious, greatly affecting health care.

In particular, the General Hospital in Soc Trang Province needs an average of 800 - 1,000 units of blood each month supplied by the Can Tho City Hematology - Blood Transfusion Hospital for emergency treatment; however, Can Tho City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital stopped the supply of blood from September 5 until now.

Previously, Can Tho City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital issued official dispatch No. 780/HHTM-KHTH on temporarily suspending delivery of blood products to medical facilities in the Mekong Delta region from September 5, 2023, but only distribute blood and blood products in emergencies.

The Can Tho City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital explained because of difficulties in bidding for procurement of chemicals, supplies and medical equipment in 2023-2024; subsequently, the hospital currently no longer has blood collection bags and blood screening chemicals.

The Can Tho City Hematology - Blood Transfusion Hospital is a blood supply unit for 74 hospitals and medical facilities in the Mekong Delta region.

However, the hospital announced on October 17 that there were only 86 units of blood left in its stock while the weekly blood supply need for the Mekong Delta is from 2,800 to 3,000 units of blood, equivalent to the need for 12,000 to 15,000 units of blood and platelet kits per month from 300 to 400 units per month.

Many hospitals in the Mekong Delta region revealed that the blood shortage will begin in 2022 when the centralized bidding implemented by the Department of Health of Can Tho City stops; each hospital in the region must carry out bidding instead.

However, due to difficulties in bidding procedures, infirmaries have not been able to conduct bidding because of the lengthy bidding procedures. Without bidding, hospitals have had a serious shortage of medical supplies such as blood bags, drugs, and blood screening chemicals and it is impossible to receive blood donations.

Source: SGGP