SINGAPORE — Group O blood stocks in Singapore are at critical levels, with the country currently having less than a six-day stockpile, the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Thursday (Jan 25). 

They urged Group O donors to come forward and "donate blood over these two weeks leading up to the Chinese New Year holiday" on Feb 10 and Feb 11 to restore stocks to healthy levels. 

"Group O blood stocks have dipped below six days and are currently at critical levels due to high usage of these blood types and lower than normal blood donor turnout since the beginning of 2024," SRC and HSA said in a joint media release.

"As the universal blood group, group O blood is required during emergencies when patients' blood groups are unknown. Furthermore, nearly half of all patients in Singapore have group O blood and can only receive group O blood."

SRC and HSA said that if group O blood stocks drop further, elective surgeries will have to be postponed and life-saving transfusions could be compromised.

They added that, at the minimum, they require a nine-day stockpile in order to respond to emergencies. A 12-day stockpile would be regarded as healthy, SRC said in response to a CNA query.

The only way Singapore replenishes its blood stocks is through donations.

According to SRC and HSA, blood collection can dip by as much as 20 per cent during festive seasons such as the Chinese New Year period. 

In June last year, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that blood usage had increased in the preceding months, as hospitals caught up on elective surgeries and treatments that were postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is crucial that we prevent further depletion of the group O blood stocks ... to ensure we can meet the transfusion needs of patients," SRC and HSA said. 

They urged eligible donors aged between 16 and 60 with O+ and O- blood to come forward and donate their blood. Donors must weigh at least 45kg. 

"Donors are encouraged to donate before their travels as travelling to certain countries or regions in some countries with insect-borne infection risks may make them ineligible to donate blood for a period of time," said SRC and HSA.

"Each donation is crucial to ensure that we can maintain a minimum nine-day stockpile to respond to any civil or medical emergencies in Singapore."

Donors can visit blood banks in Dhoby Ghaut, Jurong, Outram, Punggol and Woodlands to give blood. The addresses and opening hours of the blood banks are available on the HSA website. 

Community and corporate groups can call SRC at 6220 0183 or email donate.blood [at] redcross.sg to organise group donations.

On Feb 9, the eve of Chinese New Year, all blood banks will be open for whole blood donation from 9am to 2pm. The last appointment for apheresis donation, only at Bloodbank@HSA, will be at 12.15pm.

All blood banks will be closed on Feb 10 and Feb 11, with the Dhoby Ghaut, Jurong, Punggol and Woodlands facilities reopening on Feb 12. Bloodbank@HSA will reopen on Feb 13. CNA