Sabah Blood Banks Are Drying Up, Here’s How You Can Help

80% of Malaysia’s blood reserves comes from public donation.

Firdaus Latif/Malay Mai

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Sabah is in desperate need of blood with supplies estimated only to last for the next 2 weeks.

As of writing, the entire state is depending on just 1,350 units of blood left in its blood banks.

The Sabah State Government Covid-19 task force explained that the state’s blood usage exceeds the amount of blood donated by the public.

Sabah’s Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) also revealed that 3 major blood banks in the state were temporarily closed in October 2020 after hospital staff were suspected of coronavirus infection.

(Facebook/PusatDarahNegaraKementerianKesihatanMalaysia)

MRCS also said that the state had to depend on supplies from Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak, twice, requesting a total 1450 pints of blood in March and September 2020.

This bloody supply and demand problem is attributed to disruptions in blood collection activities due to the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) enforced in the state as well as public fear of donating blood during the pandemic.

Nationwide shortage

The pandemic coupled with the Movement Control Order (MCO) has placed pressure on the national healthcare system.

Though the blood bank has not dried up yet, since late March the Health Ministry (MOH) and the National Blood Centre (PDN) plead to Malaysians to donate blood to replenish and maintain the country’s stock.

This is simply because around 80% of Malaysia’s blood reserves comes from donations made by its citizens and is an essential commodity used to treat the ill.

Tanah tumpahnya darahku

Health officials assured Malaysians that the national blood donation process remains safe during the pandemic.

Despite nationwide lockdowns and the current CMCO imposed in the Klang Valley, Seremban and Sabah, blood donation drives are still being held regularly across the country.

For those in Sabah who would like to donate their blood, Sabah MRCS will be organizing 4 blood donation drives in Kota Kinabalu for the entire month of November, every day of the week, from 9am to 4pm at the following locations;