Hotel blood drive to help ease shortage

Vajira Hospital and the private sector have joined hands to launch a blood donation drive in Bangkok in an attempt to address the serious shortage of blood amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Held at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel last Friday and supported by Coffee Beans by Dao, the donation campaign was held under “new normal” conditions, said Mason Porramatikul, assistant dean of Vajira Hospital’s Faculty of Medicine.

As the pandemic brought on many restrictions on activities and movement across the globe, a decreasing number of people are going out to donate their blood at hospitals and other donation sites, which has led to an unprecedented shortage.

The drive received positive feedback from the public, with 199 people registering to donate online. In total, 163 registrants were approved, donating a total of 73,350cc of blood, which could help more than 500 patients.

Dr Mason said as the drive was organised at a hotel, there was enough space to prevent overcrowding and maintain an appropriate distance from one station to another, adding each spot was regularly disinfected throughout the day.

“As blood inventories around the nation have reached critical levels, we should bring the public and private sectors together to solve the matter. Setting up a donation site at a hotel in the capital will help ease concerns about safety.”

“I want to invite the private sector to work with the hospital to help alleviate the shortage, by inviting healthy people aged 17-70 to donate blood for critical patients.”

Nannadda Supakdhanasombat, director of the hotel’s public relations department, said the hotel was certified by Safety and Health Administration (SHA) and Sharecare Health Security, which helped donors feel at ease.

Social distancing and safety measures were also implemented during the donations, she added.