People donate blood in the Mekong Delta's Đồng Tháp Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) has announced it is facing a severe shortage of blood which is enough for use only in the next few days without further supplies.

Blood storage now stands at only over 4,000 blood units, according to the NIHBT.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NIHBT had to cancel or postpone 80 blood donation drives in November with an expected reception of 25,000 units.

When social distancing measures were eased and the nation started to implement the policy of safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control of COVID-19, the number of blood donations improved. However, after the number of new COVID-19 cases has increased recently in many localities, blood donations started to decline.

Director of the NIHBT Bạch Quốc Khánh said the appearance of new cases in localities forced blood donation campaigns to be postponed or cancelled. The NIHBT receives just 300-400 blood units per day while it needs around 1,200 blood units to supply more than 180 hospitals each day.

Meanwhile, blood demand is forecast to increase in the year-end period and during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays.

Khánh said an estimated 80,000 units are needed for emergencies and treatment at hospitals between December 2021 and February 2022. But blood donation campaigns could only meet around 60 per cent of the demand, he said.

The situation could be improved with support from the community, he said, urging the community to continue donating blood to support treatment, particularly in southern localities that are facing difficulties due to the pandemic. — VNS