Blood supply nearing critical level amid pandemic — DOH

Thomas Wiersing, head of the EU Delegation in the Philippines, donates blood to the Philippine Red Cross. (Photo by PRC)

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s supply of blood is nearing the critical level as the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic halted blood donation activities, the Department of Health said on Thursday.

“We are very challenged,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo when asked about the status of blood supply in the country amid the coronavirus crisis.

“Meron pa naman pong natitira. Ang sinasabi lang po natin, ang critical level natin ay aabutin na natin but there is still supply of blood na nandyan sa Philippine Blood Center and other blood centers in the country. Ang sa atin lang ayaw natin na aabot tayo sa level na talagang walang wala na po,” she said.

(We still have supply. What we were saying is we are nearing the critical level but there is still supply of blood at the Philippine Blood Center and other blood centers in the country. We just do not want to reach the level where we will have no supply.)

According to Vergeire, concerned agencies are looking for usual donors of blood to check if they can donate blood again to prevent a shortage in supply.

She also asked help from local government units to find regular blood donors in their localities.

Vergeire likewise said the DOH has released guidelines on health protocols to be observed during blood donation activities as preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19.