KOTA KINABALU: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Sabah are going all out to help replenish the state’s blood supply after most of them were unable to hold any blood donation drives for the past two years.

       One of them is the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Sabah chapter, which despite being the only organisation allowed by the authorities to hold collection campaigns in the last couple of years, was still unable to meet its targets.

       Sabah MRCS blood donation programme chairman Leslie Chan Boon Siang pointed out they were now trying to make up for lost time.

       Chan said they were targeting to collect at least 10,000 pints of blood for Sabah this year, with 2,000 pints in a single day during the statewide World Blood Donors Day on June 11.

       This will be in addition to the daily collections by MRCS.

       “We only managed to collect 7,717 pints of blood in 2020 because people were scared to go out at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he told the Star.

       The following year saw more people going out to donate, he said, with 9,371 pints collected.

       Other NGOs are beginning to hold their blood donation drives after not being allowed to do so for the past two years.

       “Now that the rules are more relaxed this year, more NGOs and others have been holding their own campaigns so we want to do our bid too.”

       The blood supply situation in Sabah reached a critical stage in May last year, with even the state government calling on Sabahans to donate blood at their respective district blood banks after a drastic drop in supplies statewide.

       Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun had said then that although hospitals in Sabah have taken precautionary measures, the implementation of the various movement restrictions meant existing supplies were affected.

       Masidi feared the blood stocks would drop as much as 20% in 2021 following the cancellation of more than 200 blood donation campaigns which had initially targeted collecting some 6,000 blood supplies.

       Towards this end, Chan said Sabah needed roughly 300 to 350 pints of blood per day to be used by various types of patients. This translates to some 8,000 pints needed for each month.

       He said a significant amount of the supplies will be used for thalassemia patients.

       “Sabah has the most thalassemia patients in the country at nearly 1,900 individuals. Each patient needs two pints per month so this is equivalent to some 3,800 pints.

       “This has not even included the blood supplies needed for other treatments like chemotherapy, surgeries and accident-related injuries,” he said.

       As such, Chan urged the public to donate blood when they can and also to turn out in full force for the statewide World Blood Donors Day, which is supported by the Sabah Health Department, on June 11.

       He also urged for more participation from young donors aged between 18 and 30 years old.

       From their previous records, he said it was found that 73% of donors were aged 30 and above.

       “Most of those aged between 18 and 30 are more fit in terms of health to donate,” he said.