The National Blood Bank (NBB) has urged patients’ families to donate blood, particularly types A and AB, as these were constantly in decline.
NBB head Arsenio Jose Afonso said types A and AB were difficult to source in Timor-Leste and therefore a blood transfusion from a family member was often needed in an emergency.
“The blood stocks of types A and AB are in decline [and] therefore families need to donate,” he said at his office in Bidau, Dili.
Afonso said volunteer blood donors were mostly type O, with A and AB significantly rarer.
Between 25 to 30 bags of blood are distributed every day to medical facilities, helping save the lives of patients in the National Hospital,including the maternity unit and operating theater, as well as maternity health centers, referral hospitals and other private clinics.
Afonso said he was also concerned that the Health Ministry had failed to create proper conditions, including human resources, transport and other facilities, to support the NBB’s life-saving work, particularly with pregnant women.
He said many women died in childbirth as a result of inadequate blood stocks at the National Hospital and in other medical facilities.
“There was a case three months ago when a woman from Same administrative post in the Manufahi municipality had an abortion and was transferred to the Maubisse referral hospital ,but there was no blood type AB so they took her to the National Hospital, [but] she died due to a hemorrhage,” he said.
He said the NBB facility, which is based at the National Hospital, was inadequate as it was understaffed and too small.
He said it was also hard for NBB staff to collect mobile donations at health institutions.
Resident Manuel da Silva said the family members had an obligation to save the life of their relative when blood was out of stock.
“They have a responsibility to save their life through the blood transfusion and we cannot force health personnel to look for the blood,” he said.
He also called on the wider community to give blood regularly, adding that the NBB made an important contribution to saving women’s lives.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that 15.9 million packets of blood were collected in South East Asia every year. Of that number, 82% was received from volunteers.
Meanwhile, WHO Southeast Asia Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh in her message called for the people to get involved and encourage the communities to donate their blood voluntarily and regularly.
She said blood donation could save people’s lives, but warned there was a risk of transmitting infectious diseases through transfusions.
“Together we are fighting to achieve the objectives by ensuring universal access to safe blood and blood production,” she said.
