KUALA LUMPUR – The National Blood Centre (PDN) is concerned about the shortage of blood supply during Ramadan as the Muslims are fasting.
The Deputy Director 2, Transfusion Medicine Specialist of the National Blood Centre, Dr Nor Nazahah Mahmud said that 60 percent of the blood donors in the country are Muslims.
Therefore, she hoped that the donors, including the Muslims would continue to donate blood according to schedule.
“An individual can donate blood once in three months. We will start to fast from this Sunday. It is a huge challenge to us as 60 percent of the blood donors in the country are Muslims.
“Please try to donate blood in the morning, four hours after sahur, or after you break fast,” she said during the Blood Donation Campaign launch in conjunction with the 215th Police Day at the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent Headquarters today.
The ceremony was officiated by the Chief Police of Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim.
Dr Nor Nazahah said that it is recommended to donate blood according to the Islamic ruling.
“Donating blood during fast would not cancel the fast. We encourage to do it at the right time and be prepared mentally and physically to donate blood,” she said.
PIX: MUHD NA’IM / MalaysiaGazette / 31 MARCH 2022.
Ketua Polis Kuala Lumpur, CP Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim melawat ruang menderma darah pada Majlis Perasmian Kempen Derma Darah Sempena Peringatan Hari Polis ke-215 di Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen Kuala Lumpur. Foto MUHD NA’IM, 31 MAC 2022.
Besides ensuring sufficient blood stock throughout Ramadan, the National Blood Centre (PDN) is also worried that the same would happen during the long holidays for the festive season.
“There is a long holiday, the Labour Day and the Aidilfitri holidays. We are worried. The hope that people will still go to the blood bank to donate blood and we would not face blood supply problem.
“Transfusion service is one of the essential services. There is no other substitute to blood, not even synthetic although there were researches about it,” she said.
According to the data, 500 to 600 bags of blood are needed daily in the Klang Valley.
“The collection today has contributed to about 50 percent of the Klang Valley’s daily requirement.
“In a day, we need to collect about 2,000 bags of blood for the national usage and data showed that it would be given to 1,000 patients.
“That is a rough estimation on the number of bags that we need and we provide this figure so that we do not collect excessively high volume of blood,” she said.
She added, excessive blood collection would lead to wastage and the blood had to be disposed as they have expiry date. -MalaysiaGazette
