Sad News From Lebak Regency, Blood Supply At PMI Is Running Low

Two Rangkasbitung residents are donating to meet the blood needs of the patient's family. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The blood supply at the Regional Technical Unit of the Indonesian Red Cross, Lebak Regency, Banten Province is running low amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which is followed by increasing requests from patients.

"We feel overwhelmed by the demand for blood for patients in this area," said Yayu, an officer at UTD-PMI Lebak, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, June 9.

The patient's demand is high so that the officers are unable to serve him, because the blood stock is between three and six bags containing 250 CC.

They mostly demand blood type A and AB, while the demand reaches 40 bags per day

Because of that, officers were forced to make substitute donors from the patient's family to meet their blood needs.

With such a pattern, according to him, until now the patient's needs can be met.

"We were forced to make a substitute donor from the patient's family, because the existing blood stock was running low," he explained.

According to him, the depletion of blood supplies, which are usually donors from volunteers from various government agencies, the National Police, the TNI, students, church congregations, and others can now not be done because of crowds that have the potential to cause clusters to spread COVID-19.

So far, the demand for blood for patients at the Adjidarmo Rangkasbitung Hospital, the Mission Hospital, and the Kartini Hospital has reached 40 bags.

They are patients who need blood for accidental surgery, internal medicine to cesarean delivery.

"We are now better advised to the patient's family to become a substitute donor from the family to meet the blood needs," said Yayu.

A number of patients' families at UTD-PMI Lebak Regency seemed to be queuing up to become blood donors because they had a shortage of blood stock.

The patient's family prefers family members or neighbors to be donors in order to fulfill the patient's blood needs.

Because, lack of blood can make the patient more severe and threaten the safety of his life.

"We are willing to be a substitute donor for the family for the needs of his parents' blood group A," said Sri Wulandari, a resident of Rangkasbitung.