Blood units collected at Bausher bank rise

The percentage of Omani blood donors increased to 77 percent and the voluntary blood donation rate reached 97 percent

The number of blood units collected at the Central Blood Bank in Bausher during 2022 rose by 21 percent compared to 2021, according to the statistics of the Blood Banks Services Department at the Ministry of Health.

The percentage of Omani blood donors increased to 77 percent, the voluntary blood donation rate reached 97 percent, while the percentage of new donors who donated for the first time reached 49 percent.

More than 78,000 different components were disbursed to health institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Sultan Qaboos Integrated Center for Cancer Treatment and Research, Armed Forces Hospital, Royal Oman Police Hospital, in addition to private health institutions.

Dr. Zainab bint Salim Al-Araimi, Director of the Blood Banks Services Department, said: “The daily demand for blood units and its components is constantly increasing. The demand is between 140 and 160 blood units at the Central Blood Bank, and the blood bank suffered a decline in the stock of some blood groups, platelets and other components as a result of low number of donors in some periods of the year 2022.

She added that the increase in the number of collected units does not mean reaching the stage of sufficiency, as the need for blood is still present and continuous. Therefore, we urge the community to continue donating blood to maintain a safe stock of blood units and to meet the increasing needs in light of the expansion of health services in the Sultanate of Oman.