KUCHING: The Sarawak General Hospital Blood Bank (TDHUS) will be holding a blood donation campaign to ensure there is sufficient supply of blood during the forthcoming Chinese New Year.
The campaign from Jan 31 to Feb 3 will be held at Aeon Shopping Mall here.
The event is organised in collaboration with Kuching Division Health Department, Health Promotion and Patient Education Unit and SGH Plastic Surgery Department.
TDHUS explained that the blood bank would normally face a shortage of blood supply during any festival in the state.
“It is estimated that the demand for blood would surge by 20 percent due to increased emergency cases, accidents and surgeries in addition to the need for blood by thalassemia and cancer patients,” it said in a press statement here yesterday.
Apart from refilling the blood stock, the aim of the campaign is also to educate the public about blood donation and encourage them to be blood donors.
The event will also create greater awareness of health issues currently affecting the people in Sarawak and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Several booths will be erected at the campaign’s venueto help the public understand better rabies, dengue and chikungunya.
There is also a special exhibition by the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) Plastic Surgery Department themed “Be Burn Aware” and another exhibition on organ donation by the hospital’s Health Promotion and Patient Education Unit.
The organ donation exhibition gives an insight on the procedure for organ donation.
Both exhibitions will start at 10am and end at 10pm throughout the campaign period.
Visitors to the booths will get free health screening tests on the first and second days of the event from 10am to 2.30pm
To help interested members of the public visit the campaign venue, the Aeon Mall management has decided to provide a free bus service from the Kuching Waterfront between 10.30am and 8.30pm (every Monday to Friday) and from 10.30am to 10pm every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday.
