TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's blood bank stocks continue to fall critically low, with O-type blood showing the most severe shortage, enough for only 3.7 days, the Taiwan Blood Service Foundation said on Saturday (Feb. 17).
With Saturday being a work makeup day, Liu Chun-hong, the Taipei Blood Center planning division head, encouraged the public to donate blood after work or before going home to help alleviate the critical situation of the bloodstock.
The Lunar New Year holiday has greatly affected blood donations, causing a dramatic drop, the foundation said. A sufficient blood stock should be maintained between seven to ten days; But currently, Taiwan's blood bank can only maintain 4.5 days worth.
A, B, and AB blood types have a remaining supply of 5.1, 5.2, and 5.1 days, respectively. Taipei even has only 3.4 days of blood bank left, with A, B, and AB types blood stock respectively remaining at 4.2, 3.7, and 3.6 days.
Liu stated that due to the shortage, the blood supply amount has fallen from 80% to 30%. During the Lunar New Year holiday, even though surgeries had been postponed there was still a blood demand.
The decrease in blood donors has been attributed to many people choosing to travel abroad during the holiday, and the increased number of sick people due to weather. The Taipei Blood Center had hoped to increase the stock amount to 10 days before the year's end, but it was only achieved to about 5 days, Liu said.