Taipei (Taiwan News)--The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation (TBSF) on Monday urged the public to donate blood before the Chinese New Year holiday as blood stocks and blood use at hospitals across Taiwan will reach their peak in the week before the holiday.
TBSF public relations official Li Lei said blood banks around Taiwan currently have enough blood for 6.4 days, slightly below the minimum safety reserve of seven days, and that types A and O are running especially low. As the blood donation during the past weekend hasn’t been disposed of and there are more requests of blood by hospitals on Monday, there will be small fluctuations in the levels of the blood reserve, Li said.
The week before the Chinese New Year holiday is usually when hospitals across the country use and stock most blood, Li said, adding that it’s only about 10 days away from the holiday.
As of Monday, many cooperating organizations across the country have suspended blood donation activities, and it’s estimated that 3,000 bags of blood, or about 750,000 cc of blood, will be lost, the official said. A shortage in the nation's blood supply might reach a crisis level before the Chinese New Year, Li said, urging the public to donate blood.
