Blood shortage in Korat as donors steer clear
Hospitals need top-ups for transfusions
NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Many hospitals in this northeastern province are reporting a dire shortage of blood for transfusions, with donors scared off by the new wave of Covid-19 infections.
Sirilak Piakkhunthod, chief of the 5th National Blood Centre of the Thai Red Cross Society, said the shortage dated back to mid-December, when the latest outbreak began. Adding to the problem, all blood donation units at schools, universities and private companies were closed during the long New Year holiday.
Since they reopened on Jan 4, she said, the Covid-19 pandemic had become more serious and scared away potential donors. As a result, the Red Cross blood centre was unable to fill requests from some hospitals.
Before the latest outbreak, the…
