Lau (second from right) visiting an exhibition booth at World Blood Donor Day. Looking on is Dr Teng (second from left).
An appeal for blood donations was made at the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Sibu branch for World Blood Donor Day.
“Blood transfusion supports complex medical and surgical procedures.
“In some places, demand exceeds supply, making it hard to ensure enough blood is available.
“Voluntary unpaid blood donation is thus the foundation of a safe and sufficient blood supply,” said Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker and Lanang MP Alice Lau at the event.
She also advised the public to take care of their health to ensure they were eligible to donate blood.
MRCS Sibu vice-chairman Dr Rachel Teng said 8,671 pints were collected by Hospital Sibu blood bank last year.
Dr Teng, who is also Hospital Sibu deputy director, compared this to the 9,404 pints and 8,020 pints collected in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Of the amount collected, 6,590 and 5,316 pints were supplied to patients in 2023, and 2021, respectively.
“The increase in both collection and supply over the years reflects the growing demand for blood,” she added.
Dr Teng said data revealed a growing reliance on mobile blood donation centres that contributed the most to Hospital Sibu’s blood bank.
She said in 2021 and 2022, blood donations from these mobile centres made up 69.8% and 77.3% respectively, of the total amount of collected blood.
In 2023, mobile blood donation centres supplied 79.6% of collected blood.
On blood donor profiles, Dr Teng said in 2021, 84.9% of donors were regulars while the rest were first-timers.
“In 2023, regular donor contributions rose to 86.5%, while first-timers made up 13.5% of donors,” she added.
She stressed that while regular donors were crucial in maintaining a stable blood supply, the MRCS also needed to attract new donors.
