KUCHING: Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) requires a continuous flow of blood supply even when stocks at its blood bank are at a sufficient level like now.
SGH Blood Bank medical officer Dr Lu Siew Ling said this is because the hospital needs to provide blood to support patients daily.
“We need donors to come and donate blood continuously because the hospital needs to supply at least 70 to 75 blood bags to our patients everyday, thus blood stocks needs to be replenished,” she said.
She told reporters this at a joint blood donation drive at Plaza Merdeka Shopping Mall here Tuesday (Jan 30).
Lu also said that the hospital supplies blood to other district hospitals and private hospitals.
“Hence, this is the reason why although we say it is at a safe level, the action of giving blood never stops.
“We need to make sure there is enough stock so that we can also supply it to the other hospitals,” she said.
Towards this end she welcomed blood donors to walk-in and donate blood at the SGH Blood Bank from Mondays to Fridays.
“Public is also encouraged to stay updated on any upcoming blood donation drive be it at our blood bank or other locations such as shopping malls through the Blood Bank Hospital Umum Sarawak’s Facebook page,” she said.
Meanwhile, the blood donation drive was jointly organised by the Unit For Other Religions (UNIFOR) and Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The initiative was also taken in collaboration with SGH and Plaza Merdeka Management Sdn Bhd.
The one-day blood donation drive targetted at least 150 donors mostly members from the Association of Churches Sarawak, Federation of Sarawak Temple Associations, Kuching Division Journalists Association (KDJA), Malaysian Buddhist Association Sarawak Branch, Malaysian Hindu Sangam Sarawak Branch, Pullman Hotel Kuching, Sarawak Sikh Temple Association, and Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Sarawak and Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Kuching.
State civil servants and the public were also among those who donated their blood.
Among those present were UNIFOR director Datuk Jack Aman and UKAS director Samuel Simon.
