Khon Kaen launches drive to collect blood donations from donors’ homes

Dr Sujira Kwasaen, director of the regional centre, said on Wednesday (April 15) that the mobile units will visit homes in the Muang district.
“If there are three or more people who want to donate blood, they can contact the Regional Health Promotion Centre, and we will send a vehicle to their homes,” she said.
“Though these mobile units are small, they meet the standard at every process. Before taking donations, the doctor will screen the donors thoroughly and study their medical history. The doctor will also find out if the donors have had any contact with potential Covid-19 patients.”
She said normally Khon Kaen Hospital has supplies of 3,000 to 3,600 units of blood every month, with 2,000 to 2,500 coming from mobile blood donation vehicles and 1,000 from people who donate at the hospital directly.
“However, most factories, communities and department stores have cancelled blood donation events due to Covid-19 outbreak, which has caused Khon Kaen Hospital to postpone some surgeries,” she said.
“Khon Kaen Hospital has to use blood to treat emergency patients or those who have blood diseases like thalassemia. The hospital already has more than 200 such patients.
“But with the Covid-19 outbreak, the hospital’s blood stock is in crisis. Normally, 200 units of blood are kept in stock and the hospital uses 120 units of blood every day,” she said, adding that blood collected in this new donation drive will be used in Khon Kaen Hospital and another 28 hospitals in the province.