Red Cross may face shortage of blood
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) could face a shortage of blood supply due to the sharp drop in the number of blood donors during Ramadhan, while the situation could get worse, due to the exodus of residents heading to their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri.
Before Ramadhan, about 300 people donated their blood at PMI Jakarta daily, but the number has now decreased to 100.
The annual exodus will apparently aggravate the situation as it is estimated that about 2 million people will leave Jakarta to celebrate the Idul Fitri holiday with their families.
"Many Muslim donors believe that contributing blood during Ramadhan can affect their stamina, which is untrue," spokesman of PMI Jakarta Harry Harsono told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
"It's a myth that giving away your blood can affect our stamina," he said.
He claimed that PMI Jakarta still had an adequate blood supply, but called upon people who needed blood to bring donors with them to avoid a shortage in blood supply.
Harry said that replacement donors did not necessarily have to be of the same blood group as those needing blood transfusions.
Even though Harry denied any shortage of blood supply, a desperate woman called radio Elshinta on Sunday afternoon, saying that she was unable to obtain blood for her brother, who had been hospitalized at Mintoharjo Navy Hospital, Central Jakarta, since Thursday after being injured in a traffic accident.
She said both the hospital and PMI Jakarta could not provide blood for her brother, a city bus driver's assistant, who needed eight sachets of blood type O.
Harry told The Jakarta Post that as of Friday, 6,450 sachets of blood were available, comprising 199 of whole blood and 6,251 of blood components.
Last Thursday, 6,539 sachets of blood were available, comprising 294 of whole blood and 6,245 of blood components.
Harry said PMI Jakarta chapter had made several attempts to boost blood donations by intensifying mass blood donations at a variety of locations, including companies, as well as approaching congregations of different religions to donate blood before the start of Ramadhan.
"The response was good but the results was still far from adequate to maintain our supply at a safe level," he said.
PMI charges Rp 41,000 (US$4.6) per sachet to state hospitals and Rp 123,000 to private hospitals to cover operational costs.
"We do not sell the blood, however. Charges are made only to cover our operational and equipment costs. Some of the charges are also to cover staff salaries," said Harry.
"We also do not take cash from patients (directly). But I know that some hospitals charge (patients) more than the operational cost."
Harry expected that during the Idul Fitri holiday most of the blood would be used by mothers delivering babies and victims of traffic accidents, about 45 percent and 30 percent respectively.
During the holiday season, PMI Jakarta chapter deploys its ambulances and volunteers at several locations, including bus terminals and railway stations in the city.
"We will station 250 volunteers, drawn from members of the Volunteer Corps (KSR) and the Junior Red Cross (PMR),"said Harry.
The ambulances and volunteers are deployed from one week before Idul Fitri to one week afterwards.