Blood supply at Kota Bharu hospital running very low

 

The blood supply of Raja Perempuan Zainab Hospital (HRPZ) II in Kota Bharu, Kelantan is at a critical level and can only last for three days.

Hospital director Dr Selasawati Ghazali said supply is not stable due to the ongoing implementation of the movement control order (MCO) to contain Covid-19 transmission while the need for blood continues to rise.

“Our blood supply issue is very critical at the moment, besides encouraging our hospital staff to donate blood, we are also trying to contact our friends from NGOs to come forward to do so. 

“Besides that, we are extending the operation of HRPZ II blood transfusion centre until 11pm,” she told reporters at the hospital today.

Commenting further, Selasawati said on average the usage of blood supplies in Health Ministry hospitals in the state is around 100 to 120 bags per day while usage at HRPZ II is 50 to 80 bags daily.

However, she said blood collection throughout the MCO from February until May was unsatisfactory due to lack of movement and absence of university students.

“As such I appeal to the people of Kelantan to come to the hospital to donate blood because we cannot organise major programmes outside now, thus becoming a constraint for us to obtain blood supply.

“Former Covid-19 patients who are planning to donate blood should have recovered for at least three months,” she said, while urging more healthy people and those who have not been infected by the coronavirus to do so.

With the implementation of the total lockdown, the hospital hopes it can also reduce the demand for blood supply, due to movement restriction that could lead to a drop in emergencies, accidents or trauma, which might require a high volume of blood supply during emergency surgeries, she added. 

“As such, with this measure (total lockdown) we can maximise the supply for patients like pregnant mothers in labour or permanent hospital clients including Thalassaemia patients,” she said.

- Bernama