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28 March 2024

Donor apathy leads to shortage in blood stocks

Published
By Staff

Hospitals in Dubai are facing a shortage in blood owing to an increase in accidents this Ramadan couple with an annual seasonal lull in donation.

Khaleej Times quoted a senior health official as saying that the busy Trauma Centre at Rashid Hospital and the Thalassemia Centre are the hardest hit by the shortage.

“This year, both summer and Ramadan have overlapped due to which we are facing a severe shortage,” said Dr Laila Al Shaer, Head of the Dubai Blood Donation Centre (DBDC) while urging people to step forward and donate blood during the holy month.

“Demand is the highest at the trauma centre owing to a large number of accidents occurring during the Iftar rush,” she said, adding that demand was far more than the current supply.

Since emergency cases are a top priority,  regular Thalassemia patients are having to wait for transfusions, even as the elective surgery cases are also being delayed due to the shortage, she informed.

Fulfilling 50 percent of the country’s blood needs, the DBDC provides blood and its derivatives to 27 government and private centres all over the UAE, while the remaining half of the requirements are being taken care by five other centres that also collect blood.

Anticipating the situation, the DBDC had started an educational campaign to urge people to donate before summer, but it only had limited result.

On an average, the centre daily needs between 100-150 units of blood to meet the shortage during summer when most residents are travelling.

Dr Laila also allayed concerns of possible health issues caused by donating blood during Ramadan. “People can donate after the fast is over and taking enough liquids will not affect their health,” she said.

“This is the month of giving and people should come up and donate blood,” she added.

Today, the Ministry of Health is also launching a blood donation campaign at mosques in Dubai with the collaboration of the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities.

Readers can call 04-2193221 for queries on blood donation and timings during Ramadan.