More than 5,300 people donate blood after group O stocks hit critical levels Group O blood stocks have returned to healthy levels. SINGAPORE: Singapore’s group O blood stocks have returned to healthy levels after thousands of donors responded to a public appeal for donations. The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Sunday (Feb 4) thanked more than 5,300 people who donated blood after the public appeal went out on Jan 25. Over the past week, close to 3,300 units of O+ blood were collected, and the O+ blood stock has seen an improvement of close to 230 per cent. “We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all donors for their life-saving contributions. Blood donation is a shared responsibility and an essential component of building community resilience in Singapore, as well as reflecting a caring and cohesive society,” said Mr Benjamin William, secretary general and CEO of SRC. “It is important to have a steady influx of donors to ensure timely access to blood for patients in need.” In a Facebook post, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the donors included “the young and old, men and women, Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans, civil servants, professionals, business owners, artists and many more”. “It was a broad and encouraging response,” he added. As of Feb 3, group O blood stocks are at healthy levels. Stocks of A- and B- blood types are at low levels. SUSTAINED MOMENTUM OF DONATIONS NEEDED The period during and after Chinese New Year remains a crucial period, as blood collection typically drops by 20 per cent during the festive periods and long weekends, said SRC and HSA. Group O blood stock might decline again, particularly in the first two weeks following Chinese New Year, if the current momentum is not sustained. “We would like to invite blood donors to continue donating blood before and after the (Chinese) New Year to bolster our blood reserves. Your regular donation is crucial to ensure that we always have at least a nine-day stockpile to respond to any civil or medical emergencies in Singapore,” said HSA CEO Mimi Choong May Ling. Blood has a short shelf life of six weeks for red cells and seven days for platelets and regular donation is key to a stable blood supply, said SRC and HSA. The public appeal was launched on Jan 25 after group O blood stocks dipped below six days’ worth. As the universal blood group, group O blood is required during emergencies when patients’ blood groups are unknown. Nearly half of all patients in Singapore have group O blood and can only receive group O blood. At the minimum, a nine-day stockpile is required to respond to emergencies. A 12-day stockpile would be regarded as healthy, SRC said previously.
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