Urgent call for blood donations amid depleting stocks

[webfact]

Urgent call for blood donations amid depleting stocks

By The Nation

 

 

The Thai Red Cross Society is inviting blood donors, as blood supplies are running out and are not sufficient for operations.

 

 

More than 340 hospitals across the country have reopened since the fourth phase of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, resulting in higher demand for blood of around 7,000 units a day, but only 50 per cent can be given.

 

 

The situation is quite urgent, the Red Cross said, asking people who were healthy during the last three months to donate their blood in every hospital.

 

The campaign will officially begin on July 13 and continue till July 19 and the donors will receive an “Every Blood Donor is a Hero” shirt.

 

 

Large numbers of people on Sunday (July 12). have already travelled to the National Blood Centre in Pathumwan district to donate blood.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30391183

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-07-13

 

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[WildBillHiccup]

Has anyone already donated blood previously?

Do the Thais have a strict procedure in place?

Can I simply 'turn up' at Pattaya City Hospital reception?

[bodga]

Hmm is  farang  blood  ok or  will there be ridiculous rules laid out for it, meaning...forget it?

[Bender Rodriguez]

I asked them a few years ago, have to go test my blood, twice, at my expense, before I can donate, so...  byezies

[khunjeff]

I've given blood here more than 20 times, and there were no special rules for my "farang" blood - no appointment is needed, and the Red Cross even has copies of their registration form/questionnaire available in English. (I always go to the National Blood Center in Bangkok, so I have no idea what procedures would be like at a hospital in Pattaya.)

 

The Red Cross does have some eligibility restrictions which might affect foreigners, such as a bar on donations from anyone who lived in England for three months or more between 1980 and 1986, so review their website before you go.

 

Blood Donation - Welcome Page

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai Red Cross Society is inviting blood donors, as blood supplies are running out and are not sufficient for operations.

Thailand Asias medical hub?

[Speedo1968]

3 hours ago, khunjeff said:

I've given blood here more than 20 times, and there were no special rules for my "farang" blood - no appointment is needed, and the Red Cross even has copies of their registration form/questionnaire available in English. (I always go to the National Blood Center in Bangkok, so I have no idea what procedures would be like at a hospital in Pattaya.)

 

The Red Cross does have some eligibility restrictions which might affect foreigners, such as a bar on donations from anyone who lived in England for three months or more between 1980 and 1986, so review their website before you go.

 

Blood Donation - Welcome Page

It includes a bar on age, its either over 60 or 65.

Tried many times since I have lived / worked here, even when I visited on business, especially when they are "short of supplies", the last was when I visited Korat last year where one of the Malls had a donation point, same old story - "too old".
Still got that feeling that if yours was a common blood group and you are falang they weren't interested ( others have posted that being falang wasn't an issue.

I donated in UK and in Saudi where it was a requirement each time you updated your one year driving licence, exceptions being that you have had malaria etc., age was not an issue.

[TrevorC]

Unless it's a RedCross road show I found it impossible to donate in Pattaya. I too go to Red Cross centre in Bangkok. 

[RocketDog]

50 minutes ago, Speedo1968 said:

It includes a bar on age, its either over 60 or 65.

Tried many times since I have lived / worked here, even when I visited on business, especially when they are "short of supplies", the last was when I visited Korat last year where one of the Malls had a donation point, same old story - "too old".
Still got that feeling that if yours was a common blood group and you are falang they weren't interested ( others have posted that being falang wasn't an issue.

I donated in UK and in Saudi where it was a requirement each time you updated your one year driving licence, exceptions being that you have had malaria etc., age was not an issue.

Read the link at the end of the @khunjeffpost you replied to. It states clearly that donors can be 17-70 years old among other requirements. 

Though I agree that when I've inquired before I was told the limit was 60. Maybe this is for Red Cross only and other hospitals have different rules. 

[khunjeff]

28 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

Read the link at the end of the @khunjeffpost you replied to. It states clearly that donors can be 17-70 years old among other requirements. 

Though I agree that when I've inquired before I was told the limit was 60. Maybe this is for Red Cross only and other hospitals have different rules. 

Donors can be 17-70, but if you're over 60 they'll only let you donate if you've been donating regularly (in Thailand) for a while before that. If you try to donate for the first time at age 60 - even if you can show previous donations outside of Thailand - they'll refuse your blood.

 

Over 70, they absolutely refuse no matter how often you've been donating and no matter how healthy you are. A well-connected farang acquaintance of mine has been trying for years to get the higher-ups at the Thai Red Cross to change that policy, with no success.

 

Thailand is far more restrictive in general regarding blood donations than most Western countries - many of the rules they use here were phased out in the West many years ago as unnecessary, but things are slow to change here.

[RocketDog]

2 hours ago, khunjeff said:

Donors can be 17-70, but if you're over 60 they'll only let you donate if you've been donating regularly (in Thailand) for a while before that. If you try to donate for the first time at age 60 - even if you can show previous donations outside of Thailand - they'll refuse your blood.

 

Over 70, they absolutely refuse no matter how often you've been donating and no matter how healthy you are. A well-connected farang acquaintance of mine has been trying for years to get the higher-ups at the Thai Red Cross to change that policy, with no success.

 

Thailand is far more restrictive in general regarding blood donations than most Western countries - many of the rules they use here were phased out in the West many years ago as unnecessary, but things are slow to change here.

OK. Thanks for correcting me. 

I didn't want to steer people wrong. 

Good catch.