Shortage of blood hits Siriraj

Siriraj Hospital, one of the nation’s largest, is facing a blood shortage crisis with donations dropping to such an extent that it can now only meet half of the average daily demand, it said yesterday.

Levels are running so low that the amount reserved for the treatment of diseases such as thalassemia — an inherited disease that causes the body to to produce haemoglobin — must be cut so there is enough for other patients with different illnesses, she said.

Dr Parichart Permpikul said the hospital requires at least 150 units of blood per day. However, daily donations have dropped to 60 units on some days, she said, adding there is a severe shortage of the O, A and B blood groups.

She appealed for more healthy individuals to come forward and donate.

The low stockpiles were attributed to people staying away during Songkran in the middle of last month and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which has forced many into quarantine or simply cause them to fear visiting hospitals.

She said donors can give one unit of blood per visit. However the blood cannot be used immediately as it must be tested for the presence of HIV and hepatitis B and C. It must also go through centrifugation to extract platelets and plasma, a process that takes a full day.

More people should consider donating blood if they are in good health, weigh over 48 kilogrammes and do not suffer from any underlying illness such as epilepsy or heart disease.

To avoid the risk of welcoming those infected with Covid19, prospective donors should avoid giving blood if they have only been vaccinated within the last seven days. If they develop any side effects from the jab, they should steer clear of donating blood for 14 days after they recover, she said.