Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital (HWKKS) is actively organising a blood donation campaign to meet increasing needs.
Its Director, Dr Marcus Netto, said blood transfusion could occur at any time such as during an emergency and bleeding during an accident or blood spillage during childbirth.
“At the same time, there are patients who need blood transfusion and blood periodically for survival such as Thalassemia and cancer patients, Hemophilia and Primary Immune Deficiency,” he said during a programme with the theme “Give Blood, Give Plasma, Share life, Share Often” which invites the community to play a continuous role as voluntary blood donors in saving lives.
He said in 2021, over 10,000 pints of red blood were needed and demand increased by 8.2 per cent to 11,825 in 2022.
“In 2022 there were 6,203 donors and 2,023 for the first six months which shows the amount is still collection level before Covid-19. Even though we have entered the endemic phase, the hospital’s donation has still not reached the collection target of 7,604 pints in 2019 before the pandemic.
“The Women and Children’s Hospital in Malaysia is the first one of its kind and also a referral centre for cancer treatment and radiotherapy for the whole of Sabah and North Sarawak,” he added.
Also present were Head of the Transfusion Medicine Unit and Organising Chairman Dr Jamaludin Mail, President of Sabah Thalassemia Association, Francis Mujim and Deputy Director (Clinical) HWKKS, Dr Christine Lu Shin Yeen.
