Northern Taiwan’s main blood bank has issued an urgent call for blood donors to come forward as the region faces a critical shortage of blood reserves. The Taipei Blood Center, which serves Taipei City, New Taipei City and Keelung City, said on Friday that the area has just over four days’ total blood supply remaining.
The center says it is facing a particularly dire shortage of blood type A, with under three days’ supply left. That is far below the 7-day safety margin.
The center says it is concerned that big hospitals around Taiwan wouldn’t have enough blood in stock for emergencies. Hospitals also provide blood to patients who have a need for regular blood transfusions, as well as people having surgery.
The center says that blood donations have decreased during the Lunar New Year holiday as people around Taiwan have returned home to spend time with family. It also says that people may be staying at home due to a recent outbreak of local COVID-19 cases.
The center says that blood donation sites reopened for service on Wednesday. It says that it has strengthened disinfection measures at the facilities and hopes that people will take time to donate blood for those in need.