Blood Donors Urgently Needed In S’pore As All Types Of Stocks In The Blood Bank Run Low

[kobayashiGT]

Blood Donors Urgently Needed In S’pore As All Types Of Stocks In The Blood Bank Run Low

source: https://mustsharenews.com/singapore-blood-stocks/

3,000 Blood Donors Needed In The Next 3 Weeks To Maintain Stocks

Blood donation can change the lives of those in precarious health situations, and there’s no time like the present to help.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) of Singapore announced today (11 Dec) that the national blood bank is running low on all blood types.

They only have three weeks to replenish the stocks, to ensure that there’s enough blood for transfusions and medical emergencies.

Stocks for blood group O only half of what’s needed

HSA estimated the number of donors needed for each blood type to be as follows:

A – 750

B- 750

O – 1,500

The large number of group O donors is due to the fact that stocks for that blood type is only at half capacity now.

And since O is the universal donor, the blood type is especially crucial in emergencies where patients’ blood groups are unknown.

On top of that, HSA says that almost half of all patients in Singapore have type O blood, and can therefore only receive the same type.

Volunteer to donate blood

Considering the urgency of the situation, HSA is appealing for healthy individuals to donate blood. You must fulfill the following criteria:

Aged between 16 and 60

Weigh at least 45kg

Have group O, A or B type blood

Interested individuals who haven’t donated in the past 12 weeks can also donate, at any of the four blood banks in Singapore.

Otherwise, you can also look out for community blood drives at various locations around Singapore at your convenience.

Singaporeans have to remember to bring their NRIC, while non-Singaporeans have to bring their passports along.

16 and 17-year-old potential donors will need a parent to sign the consent form which you can find here.

Help restore our national blood bank

Blood is a vital source of life, and to lack backup sources of it for emergency situations or transfusions could be dangerous for those who are desperately in need.

If you’re looking to end your 2019 on a good note, why not do that by donating blood and restoring our national blood bank?

Who knows how many lives you can save through your small act of kindness.

[Lala81]

Lol. Usually they get blood from NSFs right.

[kobayashiGT]

Just now, Lala81 said:

Lol. Usually they get blood from NSFs right.

Does it mean there is a lot of chao keng peng now? hahaha.

[1fast1]

12 minutes ago, Lala81 said:

Lol. Usually they get blood from NSFs right.

Is this true? Sounds like an ethical nightmare if so. How to exclude coercion?

[Watwheels]

Stock up for the festive season. Many ppl get injured during this period may it be car accidents and what's not.

[Lala81]

4 minutes ago, Turboflat4 said:

Is this true? Sounds like an ethical nightmare if so. How to exclude coercion?

Urban myth? I can't recall where i heard it from. But within our profession.
I heard it many years ago that when there's real shortage of blood, they ask SAF to help.

I think they offer you something to donate. Not coercion, but ask the whole unit to donate lor. Maybe give u some off-in-lieu or don't have to participate in training that day 

These donation drives cannot gather enough one. How many people u know donate regularly? 
I've tried once, but my veins are too fine. Flow rate is too slow. Took me almost 50mins of ball squeezing to donate 1 pack. My hand was cramping...

Edited December 12, 2019 by Lala81

[Ash2017]

I wondered repeated puncture of the veins by large bore needle over the years would that lead to anything damage.

 

Chronic drug addicts using injections do have damaged veins and they use smaller needles.

 

 

[Kusje]

38 minutes ago, Turboflat4 said:

Is this true? Sounds like an ethical nightmare if so. How to exclude coercion?

It is of course true. 

There is no "coercion" but those that donate "voluntarily" get perks like half day off.

[Kusje]

35 minutes ago, Lala81 said:

Urban myth? I can't recall where i heard it from. But within our profession.
I heard it many years ago that when there's real shortage of blood, they ask SAF to help.

I think they offer you something to donate. Not coercion, but ask the whole unit to donate lor. Maybe give u some off-in-lieu or don't have to participate in training that day 

These donation drives cannot gather enough one. How many people u know donate regularly? 
I've tried once, but my veins are too fine. Flow rate is too slow. Took me almost 50mins of ball squeezing to donate 1 pack. My hand was cramping...

Your unit didn't have blood "donation" exercise before?

I thought every unit has that. Mine did.

[1fast1]

5 minutes ago, Kusje said:

It is of course true. 

There is no "coercion" but those that donate "voluntarily" get perks like half day off.

Thanks for confirming this. 

The entire medical establishment is so consumed with "ethics" (to the point where legitimate research is being hindered locally in my opinion), yet something like this is given a pass. 

When I was serving on a major research ethics review board, one of the things we looked at carefully was whether the study involved "vulnerable" populations that were easily susceptible to coercion (like prisoners). 

All while others are literally allowed to suck the blood of conscripts. 

A rewards system is fine, provided assurances can be given that there is no de facto coercion or peer pressure. I doubt very much those can be excluded in a military setting with a clear power gradient.

[1fast1]

44 minutes ago, Lala81 said:

Urban myth? I can't recall where i heard it from. But within our profession.
I heard it many years ago that when there's real shortage of blood, they ask SAF to help.

I think they offer you something to donate. Not coercion, but ask the whole unit to donate lor. Maybe give u some off-in-lieu or don't have to participate in training that day 

These donation drives cannot gather enough one. How many people u know donate regularly? 
I've tried once, but my veins are too fine. Flow rate is too slow. Took me almost 50mins of ball squeezing to donate 1 pack. My hand was cramping...

Yeah, I have concerns (as expressed in my reply to Kusje).

[Kusje]

9 minutes ago, Turboflat4 said:

Thanks for confirming this. 

The entire medical establishment is so consumed with "ethics" (to the point where legitimate research is being hindered locally in my opinion), yet something like this is given a pass. 

When I was serving on a major research ethics review board, one of the things we looked at carefully was whether the study involved "vulnerable" populations that were easily susceptible to coercion (like prisoners). 

All while others are literally allowed to suck the blood of conscripts. 

A rewards system is fine, provided assurances can be given that there is no de facto coercion or peer pressure. I doubt very much those can be excluded in a military setting with a clear power gradient.

Mind you. My info is from more than 10 yrs back when i was an NSF.

They also "requested" us to donate to some charity (can't rem if it was community chest or something). Each dept has to hit some target. But of course, "never force" anyone.

Can't speak about the pressure - but i never donated a cent or a drop of blood to them. Whether or not there were any repercussions, I think we all know how NS does it.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Kusje

[Lala81]

12 minutes ago, Kusje said:

Your unit didn't have blood "donation" exercise before?

I thought every unit has that. Mine did.

I was never in a SIR/SAR etc unit. was always in schools until i disrupted. After i returned to SAF after course, went to work at CMPB.

[Kusje]

I must have said it somewhere before but we need to start thinking about buying blood from people at a fair value instead of asking for donations.

Are hospitals are making a profit selling the blood that people donate? Some of it for medical tourism.

[13177]

20 minutes ago, Kusje said:

Your unit didn't have blood "donation" exercise before?

I thought every unit has that. Mine did.

I also never have any blood donation exercise while i was in army back then?! Maybe that time no blood shortage? Lol.

[Jusnel]

58 minutes ago, Lala81 said:

Urban myth? I can't recall where i heard it from. But within our profession.
I heard it many years ago that when there's real shortage of blood, they ask SAF to help.

I think they offer you something to donate. Not coercion, but ask the whole unit to donate lor. Maybe give u some off-in-lieu or don't have to participate in training that day 

These donation drives cannot gather enough one. How many people u know donate regularly? 
I've tried once, but my veins are too fine. Flow rate is too slow. Took me almost 50mins of ball squeezing to donate 1 pack. My hand was cramping...

Which ball u referring to?   must be so painful for yourself 😂

[Jusnel]

Just now, 13177 said:

I also never have any blood donation exercise while i was in army back then?! Maybe that time no blood shortage? Lol.

same here.  never had any blood donation in my NS.  

[Lala81]

7 minutes ago, Kusje said:

I must have said it somewhere before but we need to start thinking about buying blood from people at a fair value instead of asking for donations.

Are hospitals are making a profit selling the blood that people donate? Some of it for medical tourism.

Blood products are treated like a national resource. U can pre-reserve blood products for operations with expected blood loss.
But otherwise it's not something u can anyhow consume as a doctor. As to whether how the charges work, i dunno. With itemised billing, there's always some fee attached to certain items or procedure. 

Never really thought about it that way though. But seems workable.