Sabah's blood supply can only last two weeks - Masidi

KOTA KINABALU: The blood supply in Sabah can only last for a period of two weeks as the amount of blood used daily, 220 units, exceeds the total of blood donated daily, which is 150 units, said State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.

He said the shortage in donated blood was in part caused by the public’s wariness to donate blood due to COVID-19, adding that the government would ensure that donors are safe and would find it easy to donate blood.

"If this carries on, the blood reserves will be at a worrisome level because continuous blood supply is very important for the health of expectant mothers and those who have thalassemia.

"I urge all blood donors to help us, please donate blood at hospital blood banks near you,” he said during the Sabah state government’s daily COVID-19 media briefing yesterday.

He said in order to attract more donors, he hoped that hospitals would implement various creative programmes to ensure that donors are treated well and to foster cooperation with non-governmental organisations.

Meanwhile, Masidi said Sabah currently had 8,307 beds to treat COVID-19 patients, with 909 beds in hospitals and 7,398 beds in low-risk treatment and quarantine centres.

He said bed occupancy rate at this time was at 36.26 per cent, indicating that Sabah currently is prepared to cope with the needs of COVID-19 patients.

The number of new COVID-19 infections in the country in the last 24-hours remained at four digits with 1,032 cases recorded, with Sabah reporting the highest number of infections with 646 cases.

-- BERNAMA