‘Blood donation helps save lives’

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Lu (third left) pledging his support to blood donation campaigns alongside Dr Pravind (third right), Malaysia Red Crescent Kuching Chapter deputy chairman Dr Chou Chii Ming (centre), Federation of Kuching Samarahan Division Chinese Association Youth Section chairman Chan Chong Poh (left) and deputy chairman Ong Gek Seng (second left), Sarawak Kwang Tung Association vice chairman Too Ah Poh (second right) and Plaza Merdeka general manager Cheah Kheng Mum (right). — Photos by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

Lu (third left) pledging his support to blood donation campaigns alongside Dr Pravind (third right), Malaysia Red Crescent Kuching Chapter deputy chairman Dr Chou Chii Ming (centre), Federation of Kuching Samarahan Division Chinese Association Youth Section chairman Chan Chong Poh (left) and deputy chairman Ong Gek Seng (second left), Sarawak Kwang Tung Association vice chairman Too Ah Poh (second right) and Plaza Merdeka general manager Cheah Kheng Mum (right). — Photos by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

KUCHING: Blood received from donors are not only used to transfuse red blood cells to patients but are also prized for its components which can be used to treat patients with specific conditions.

Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) Transfusion Medicine Department medical officer Dr Pravind Narayanan said blood components such as plasma can treat diseases like acute liver failure, while platelets are essential for treating patients suffering from dengue, leukaemia and other diseases.

“These are the extra components we can take from blood, which is why blood donation is crucial as it helps to save lives,” he said at the World Blood Donor Day blood donation campaign which was declared open by Federation of Kuching Samarahan Division Chinese Association chairman Temenggong Lu Kim Yong at Plaza Merdeka here on Sunday.

Dr Pravind also pointed out that each pint of blood could potentially help save up to three lives.

“As such, every donor plays a vital role in contributing towards saving the lives of patients,” he said.

Lu added that thousands of lives are saved through blood transfusions each year and people should be encouraged to donate blood voluntarily and regularly.

“Blood donation campaigns serve as a way to motivate regular blood donors to continue giving blood while those who are in good health but have never given blood, particularly youths, are encouraged to do so,” he said.

According to him, the Federation of Kuching Samarahan Division Chinese Association Youth Section has been very active in doing their bit for such campaigns for over a decade.

“Each year, our youth section requires funding to run their blood donation campaigns and for this campaign, we are grateful to Assistant Minister of Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil for the government grant he has given us to sustain this noble cause.”

Lu also noted that the federation’s youth section had successfully collected about 23 per cent of the blood required by the Sarawak General Hospital’s (SGH) blood bank.

“I urge all youths in Sarawak to continue with this life-saving and meaningful activity. I’m confident that together we can march towards the World Health Organisation’s goal for all countries to obtain blood supplies from voluntary unpaid donors by the year 2020,” he said.

A total of 265 blood bags were donated at the campaign which was held in conjunction with World Blood Donor Day.

In addition to the blood drive, the campaign, a joint collaboration by the Ministry of Health, Federation of Kuching Samarahan Division Chinese Association and its Youth Section, Malaysia Red Crescent Kuching Chapter, Sarawak Kwang Tung Association, Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad and Plaza Merdeka also featured activities such as an awareness talk, poster exhibition, health promotion and quizzes.