Blood donations in Sabah increase, but still insufficient
KOTA KINABALU (June 23): Blood donations in Sabah have shown an increase, with 77,996 bags collected in 2024 compared to 75,644 bags in 2023.
Sabah State Health Director Dr Maria Suleiman stated that despite the rise, the supply remains insufficient to meet the growing demand from patients, increasing cases of cancer and chronic diseases, and the aging population.
'The high demand for blood in the state is also driven by thalassemia patients, who require transfusions at least once a month.
'Sabah has the highest number of thalassemia patients in Malaysia, with 1,995 cases, of which 1,380 are Transfusion-Dependent Thalassaemia (TDT) patients who rely entirely on blood supply to survive.
'In 2024, 73 new thalassemia cases were recorded in Sabah, with an additional 20 cases reported as of May this year,' she told the media during the Sabah State-Level World Blood Donor Day 2025 celebration at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) recently.
The event was officiated by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's younger sister, Paduka Puteri Tunku Mariam binti Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj, who also presented certificates of appreciation to 53 individuals, including voluntary blood donors and blood drive organizers from across the state.
The program successfully collected 193 bags of blood.
Tunku Mariam expressed her gratitude and pride for the concern shown by the people of Sabah towards blood supply needs, describing it as a noble sacrifice.
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