《TAIPEI TIMES》 Come rain or heat, blood donations remain critical

/ Staff writer, with CNA

The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation （TBSF） yesterday called on the public to donate blood as reserves around the country dropped to only 4.8 days on average, and 3.8 days in Taichung and Kaohsiung.

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The TBSF said that as of yesterday morning, type A blood was in the shortest supply, with only 4.5 days left on average.

It was followed by type O blood at 4.7 days, type AB at 4.8 days and type B at 5.4 days, TBSF data showed.

Regionally, Kaohsiung and Taichung were experiencing the most severe shortages, with only 3.8 days in reserve on average, well below the seven-day safe level and within the below-four-day range considered to be a critical shortage, the TBSF said.

Hung Ying-sheng （洪英聖）, a representative of the foundation, said the shortage was likely caused by the hot weather affecting people’s willingness to go out and donate blood, as well as by the large number of people traveling abroad while schools are on summer vacation.

Demand for donated blood has also risen slightly in recent months, as more people are undergoiing surgeries that they put off during the COVID-19 pandemic, the TBSF said.

Liu Chun-hung （劉俊宏）, a section chief at the TBSF’s Taipei Blood Center, said the foundation had issued a call for donations to try to replenish its blood stocks, particularly amid forecasts that a typhoon could affect Taiwan next weekend.

In Taipei, heavy rains typically result in blood donations falling by 40 to 50 percent, from the 7,000 to 7,500 bags of blood collected over an average weekend to about 4,000, Liu said, adding that the TBSF wants to get blood stocks back to the normal range before the storm approaches.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES