Low reserves of Rh negative blood raise concerns for foreigners in Thailand

Low reserves of Rh negative blood are raising concerns for foreigners in Thailand.

While only 0.3% of the Thai population has Rh negative blood, around 15% of the UK and European population has the blood type. This shortage has resulted in concerning shortages of Rh negative blood in blood banks across Southeast Asia.

Visitors to the region who have had accidents or required surgery have found themselves in life-threatening situations because of the lack of available Rh negative blood supplies. In some cases, it has taken up to two weeks to find enough donors to supply the required amount of blood.

One French national, ‘Lucca,’ recounted his horrific experience to UK Daily Telegraph. Last summer, Lucca was rushed to a hospital due to internal bleeding while recovering from surgery to remove a stomach ulcer. Bangkok doctors did not have enough O- blood supplies to replace the…