Blood supply sufficient, constant supply of donations still required
13 Sep 2022 08:33am
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali - Bernama photo
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He said the bank’s blood stocks needed a constant supply of blood donations as the country consumed approximately 2,000 packs of blood for medical treatments nationwide daily.
"For the Klang Valley, about 500 to 600 packs are needed daily for various cases including surgeries, accidents and medical treatments. Even with our current stock, we still require a constant increment of blood donations at PDN.
"We welcome donations of every blood type but of course, the O blood type can be used for all, it’s the universal donor. We currently need O-negative blood and Malaysians are welcome to donate blood,” he said after officiating the Nationwide Blood Donation and Health Awareness Campaign organised by the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) here today.
He said initiatives like this campaign which will start today till Oct 31 were currently needed especially as the country is moving towards endemicity.
"Donating blood is a noble act and provides many benefits to the donor. Besides being healthy for the heart, blood donors can also control their blood pressure to always be normal and healthy.
"I would like to emphasise here that donating blood should be the responsibility of every member of society. Without public support, it is impossible for PDN and other blood banks in the country to provide enough blood to meet growing needs," he said.
Dr Noor Azmi also commended LIAM and congratulated the insurance and takaful industry for the contribution towards the RM10 million Covid-19 Test Fund which was set up in 2020 and had benefitted over 60,000 policyholders.
"The ministry is also collaborating with the industry in the Perlindungan Tenang Voucher (PTV) programme which offers RM75 to help Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia recipients to purchase Perlindungan Tenang protection from participating licensed insurers and takaful operators in the country. As of Sept 6, 2022, over 3.7 million vouchers worth over RM272 million have been redeemed," he said.
The campaign which coincides with Hari Malaysia also aims to educate Malaysians on health issues and the importance of practising a healthy lifestyle. Free health screenings and counselling services by several healthcare institutions are currently available at the Medan Mara concourse area until Sept 15.
LIAM and its 16 member companies are joining hands with PDN and the National Association of Malaysian Life Insurance and Family Takaful Advisor (NAMLIFA) to organise the campaign at over 40 strategic locations nationwide. - Bernama
