SANDAKAN – Only 2.64% out of Sandakan’s total population of 510,600 are blood donors, according to Hospital Duchess of Kent’s (HDOK) Medicine Transfusion Department head, Dr Jernih Abdul Rahman.
Speaking to Scoop, he said there are only 13,499 registered blood donors based on MyCensus 2020 data.
Currently, HDOK receives between 600 and 900 pints of blood per month through blood donation campaigns; however, there is a potential shortfall, as HDOK’s demand can range from 700 to 800 pints per month.
“As such, there is concern regarding the potential shortage of blood supply at HDOK during the upcoming Ramadan month, given the decrease in the number of blood donors,” he added.
He said that during last year, during the month of Ramadan, HDOK received only 453 pints of blood, falling below the hospital’s minimum requirement of 700 pints.
Therefore, he called on the people of Sandakan to step forward and contribute to a pre-Ramadan blood donation drive initiated by the hospital.
He said that information regarding the blood donation campaigns, which will be held almost daily, can be found on the department’s official Facebook page, Tabung Darah Hdok.
Jernih also urged non-Muslims to participate in blood donations during the fasting month to compensate for potential supply shortages.
“There is no problem for Muslims to donate blood in the morning even though they are fasting if they are eligible donors.”
Meanwhile, in Kota Kinabalu, the Mara Junior Science College (Ansara) Alumni Association is organising an annual three-day pre-Ramadan blood donation campaign at Imago Shopping Mall in the basement (next to Burger King) from March 1 to 3, between 10am and 5pm.
The programme aims to collect 300 to 350 pints of blood this year, which will be distributed to three hospitals: Queen Elizabeth 2 Hospital, Sabah Women and Children Hospital Likas, and Kudat General Hospital.
In a statement yesterday, campaign chairman Abdul Kadir Damsal said Ansara was also deeply concerned that the hospitals in the state would be facing a blood supply shortage as they typically see the lowest number of donors during Ramadan.
He appealed to eligible members of the public to step forward and contribute, emphasising the significance of their donations in saving lives.
He expressed hope that the campaign would increase blood supplies for the hospitals involved. – February 29, 2024