Latest news with #BloodBank
Borneo Post
29-05-2025
- Health
- Borneo Post
Blood donation drive to be held at SGH Blood Bank on June 4
MRC Stampin branch chairman Chew Kim Soon (third left) and the school teachers encourage the community to support the forthcoming blood donation drive. KUCHING (May 29): A blood donation drive will be held at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) Blood Bank on June 4 in conjunction with the World Blood Donor Day 2025. Jointly organised by the Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) Stampin branch and Chung Hua Primary School No. 5, the campaign is an effort to maintain a sufficient and stable blood supply at the blood bank. 'The campaign aims to encourage more members of the public to donate blood, particularly in view of the rising demand for blood for medical treatments, emergencies and surgeries. 'It is part of our ongoing initiative to support the SGH Blood Bank and raise awareness about the importance of regular blood donation,' said the school in a statement today. The organisers appealed to all eligible donors to support the campaign, which will take place between 8.30am and 1pm. Donors are reminded to have a good meal beforehand, be well-hydrated and bring their MyKad or any valid identification for registration. 'Join us and help save lives — be a hero, donate blood,' added the statement. World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14 across the globe. It serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. blood donation drive lead sarawak general hospital blood bank
Arab Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
Kuwait's Blood Bank sees strong support with 90,000 donors in 2024: health minister
KUWAIT CITY, May 27: Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi on Monday announced that the Kuwait Central Blood Bank (CBB) attracted over 90,000 donors in the past year, who contributed more than 190,000 blood products including platelets, plasma, and red blood cells. Dr. Al-Awadhi made the remarks during a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Central Blood Bank, in conjunction with World Blood Donor Day, and a national event honoring donors for their vital contributions. He noted that the CBB also supplied approximately 150,000 blood units in 2024 to support healthcare for cancer and thalassemia patients, as well as those requiring emergency care across hospitals nationwide. Established in 1965, the Central Blood Bank was the region's first integrated national blood transfusion center. Dr. Al-Awadhi highlighted its pioneering role as a launch pad for a comprehensive institutional blood donation system in Kuwait and the wider region. He emphasized the Bank's longstanding commitment to international standards, noting that it was among the first in the region to receive accreditation from the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) in 1989. The CBB has also earned recognition from the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). 'These accreditations reflect our commitment to rigorous scientific and quality standards,' Dr. Al-Awadhi said. 'With advanced technologies in place, we've enhanced efficiency in blood utilization and ensured high-quality transfusion services that reduce waste and increase patient readiness.' He added that the Blood Bank and its branches have organized thousands of donation campaigns in recent years, engaging various sectors of society and fostering a national culture of voluntary donation. The minister reaffirmed the government's continued support for the blood donation system through ongoing infrastructure development, laboratory modernization, and training of national medical personnel to ensure sustainability, quality, and efficiency. Also speaking at the event, Dr. Reem Al-Radwan, Director of the Blood Transfusion Services Department at the Ministry of Health, reflected on the Blood Bank's crucial role during key moments in Kuwait's history, including its response during the Iraqi invasion and the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Al-Radwan said the CBB continues to organize strategic blood donation campaigns to maintain a safe and sustainable supply for hospitals. She also announced the launch of the Blood Bank's 60th Anniversary Campaign, aimed at reinforcing the life-saving importance of blood donation.
Daily Express
16-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Express
Rare Rh17 blood flown from Sarawak to KL saves woman's life
Published on: Friday, May 16, 2025 Published on: Fri, May 16, 2025 Text Size: For illustrative purposes only. KUCHING: A rare unit of Rh17 blood donated by a Sarawakian man was urgently flown to Kuala Lumpur to save the life of a woman with an ectopic pregnancy, Sarawak Tribune reported. Sarawak General Hospital's Blood Bank confirmed on Facebook recently that donor Vencent Voon Sin Thung came forward after the patient was found to share the extremely rare Rh17 blood type. Advertisement The bank explained that Rh17 is seldom found in Malaysia, except among a small number of the Bidayuh ethnic group in Sarawak. It noted that people with rare blood types can only safely receive transfusions from donors with the same blood group, or risk a dangerous acute transfusion reaction. The blood bank thanked Voon for his lifesaving act and urged prayers for the patient's recovery. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Press and Journal
15-05-2025
- Health
- Press and Journal
Blood bank visits Orkney for first time in 15 years, and donors couldn't wait to help save a life
First-time donors packed the Blood Bank's first visit to Orkney in more than 15 years. Across three days this week, staff from the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) have been running donor sessions in Kirkwall's Pickaquoy Centre. These are being held as pilot programme which will be reviewed in the coming months. If all goes well, Orkney could be included in future annual collection programmes across the north after being left off for more than a decade. When the visit had been announced, the Blood Bank hoped to see 75 donors per day. Dr Sylvia Armstrong-Fisher, the organisation's Head of Territory Northern Arch, explained they'd already exceeded that with 157 attendees in the first two days. They'd been expecting a further 88 throughout Wednesday's session. With last blood donor session in Orkney being in 2009, perhaps it should not be a surprise that just over 53% of the locals they've seen are new donors. While this means extra time on admin for the team, Dr Armstrong-Fisher said getting new donors is important for the service as it means maintaining a much-needed healthy stock of people willing to donate. Dr Armstrong-Fisher said: 'It's been very busy but we've had a really tremendous response from the people of Orkney. 'We've had an enormous turnout from new donors. 'If everything's going smoothly, it would take one hour for someone to give blood. 'But we have so many first-time donors that they're not used to the process and there's a lot of questions to go through. 'We also have to make sure every donor has the very best experience.' So why haven't there been session in Orkney for so long? Dr Armstrong-Fisher said: 'In 2009, due to challenges with transporting blood back from Orkney, and other issues such as staffing, we undertook a full review of Orkney collection. 'As a result of this review, which identified significant challenges with logistics and staffing, Orkney collection was ceased at that time. 'We've been pleased to return as part of a pilot. 'We've asking both donors and staff for feedback on their experience. She also explained that the logistics of carrying out the donation session on an island can 'make things a little twitchy.' Each day, a vehicle holding the blood in controlled storage had to leave the Pickaquoy centre at about 3.15pm to catch the afternoon ferry from Stromness to the Scottish mainland. It then makes its way down to wherever a team from Inverness are working that day, which has meant a trip to Elgin some days. This has to be done within 24 hours, so any delay to the ferries could knock back the order of things. After that, the blood then travels further to Edinburgh and the Jack Copland Centre. Orcadians have certainly stepped up to use the visiting service with all slots completely filled within four days of being announced. Speaking to two of the donors, they said they wanted to do what they can. Waiting give blood, Stephanie Scollie, from Kirkwal,l said: 'It's something I've always wanted to do just to see if I can help somebody. 'My sister had a blood transfusion during her pregnancy. So it was an easy decision to come along and do it. Tanya Digby was in the process of giving blood. She said: 'I've done it because I would hate to think of an operation being cancelled for anyone because there's a shortage of blood. 'It's the one thing I can do to help.'
Borneo Post
15-05-2025
- Health
- Borneo Post
Rh17 donor hailed hero after rare blood type sent to KL for ectopic pregnancy surgery
The blood bank said those with the rare Rh17 blood type such as the patient's can only accept the same blood type. – Photo from Facebook/Blood Bank Hospital Umum Sarawak KUCHING (May 15): A woman in Kuala Lumpur urgently requiring surgery for an ectopic pregnancy received help from hundreds of kilometres away thanks a donor here with her rare blood type. The Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) Blood Bank said donor Vencent Voon Sin Thung, who possesses the same rare Rh17 blood type as the patient, who requires a transfusion during surgery. 'The patient has Rh17 blood, which is rarely found among the Malaysian population. 'Individuals like her can only receive blood from donors with the same blood type. This is because receiving blood from a different donor group can cause an acute blood reaction, which may endanger the patient's life,' the blood bank said in a Facebook post. It said Voon's blood was transported by cargo plane to Kuala Lumpur for the patient. 'We pray for the patient's safety and speedy recovery. 'On behalf of the patient, we express our heartfelt thanks to our hero Mr Vencent Voon Sin Thung.' The blood bank also explained that Rh17, also known as -D-/-D-, is considered rare because it lacks C/c and E/e antigens in red blood cells due to the inactivation of the RHCE gene. 'The RHCE gene may also be partially inactivated and is especially found among individuals of Caucasian descent, whose parents may be first cousins or distant relatives. 'Rare blood types can vary between countries depending on geographical population and specific ethnic groups. 'While Rh17 is rarely found among the general Malaysian population, in Sarawak, it is found in a small number of the Bidayuh community,' it said. It said individuals with the Rh17 blood group can produce anti-Rh17 antibodies following immune stimulation, such as during pregnancy or a blood transfusion. 'As such, these individuals can only receive blood from donors with the same Rh17 blood group if they need a transfusion.' The blood bank said one of the ways to identify those with rare blood-types is when they join donation drives. 'We will conduct blood group and phenotype testing and among the rare phenotypes are Rhesus negative, R2R2, JK3 (Jka-b-), Rh17, Ind b-, Rh null, Bombay, Parabombay, and many others. 'All donor data will be stored in the Rare Blood Registry to ensure quick response during emergencies.' The blood bank said if a donor is found to have a rare blood type, it will reach out to them and their close family members to undergo the same tests to determine whether they share the same rare blood type. 'This is why we always encourage the public, especially the youths, to become regular blood donors,' it added.
