THE increasing cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) births another alarming concern--the dwindling blood bank supply.
While blood donation activity is considered ‘"essential" and not prohibited by the Philippine government amidst the pandemic, usual blood donors’ mobility and transport were greatly affected by the community lockdowns, especially during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). This resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of blood donors that have drastically affected not just Davao City's reserves but also that of the country.
Philippine Red Cross’ (PRC's) Blood Donor Services–Davao City Chapter Service Representative Rizh L. Abellano told SunStar Davao that restrictions on mass gatherings in their usual blood-letting sites and partners have led to the cancellation of blood donation activities since February.
“Since February, our partners in conducting blood donation activities are starting to cancel until now. This really affected our supply. The months of June and July are supposed to be our busiest months but the situation changed now,” he said adding July is supposed to be the National Blood Donor’s Month while June 14 was the World Blood Donor Day.
He added that under normal circumstances, blood donation activities are done almost every day.
The blood supply in Davao City dropped by 75 percent to 2,000 units from January to July as compared to 8,000 units in the same period last year.
Nationwide, Department of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo that the pandemic has indirectly caused a drawback to the country’s blood supply.
She underscored that supply of blood in the Philippines is nearing the critical level.
“We are very challenged,” she said.
Why enough blood supply matters
Blood transfusion is an integral part of medical practice.
“Blood transfusion is a lifesaving procedure usually done in surgery, injury, disease or bleeding disorders. Lifesaving in a sense that the patient may suffer complications such as hypovolemia and hypoxemia which may eventually lead to the demise of the patient,” Dr. Ben Jay Porcadilla, an internal medicine doctor of the Davao Medical School Foundation Hospital said.
Some of the clinical situations where blood transfusions define life are major surgeries, organ transplants, complicated malignancies, postpartum hemorrhage, and blood disorders such as thalassemia, hemophilia and sickle cell anemia.
Abellano said that amid the pandemic, some other serious medical conditions remain in the picture.
“We cannot stop the demand for blood. There are still patients who will need blood even if most of the hospitals are postponing or canceling elective procedures and surgeries to lessen blood transfusion for now. We have patients who are undergoing dialysis, chemotherapy,” he said.
Impacts of declining blood supply
Abellano shared that with the declining supply of blood, they are implementing patient-directed transactions, which means that those needing blood transfusion should bring their donor/s.
“It’s supposed to be not like this but with the current situation, we are doing patient-directed transactions. We still have supply but we also have to consider that we are not just catering patients within Davao City, we also have patients from outside,” he said.
He also said Davao City blood center also noticed a downward trend in blood demand.
“This is mainly because all the elective surgeries and non-urgent clinical interventions have also been deferred this time by doctors,” he added.
Abellano shared that in the absence of blood donation drives, sources of blood are from walk-in donors and donors from the Red Cross 143. He explained that Red Cross 143 partners with barangay residents to donate blood. PRC will fetch the donors from their barangays to the center for blood extraction.
“We make sure that they are screened and we are also not allowing donors from barangays categorized as Covid-19 Very High Risk and High Risk,” he said.
For walk-in donors, PRC Davao is open daily from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Call for blood donors
PRC Davao is calling old and new blood donors to donate to end the diminishing supply of the city’s blood bank.
“We need to resume our blood donation activities. Please have the courage to donate blood to increase supply and help patients extend their lives. We can also assure you that Red Cross is doing safety protocols,” Abellano said.
He added that their facilitators, as part of the Covid-19 safety measures, are strictly observing physical distancing, wearing face masks, personal protective equipment (PPE).
“We also want to protect them and our facilitators because if they’ll be infected, it would mean closing temporarily the center and that would be a huge problem because we all know that we have to cater to patients who will be needing a blood transfusion,” he said.
PRC Davao, however, is positive that blood donation drives will slowly resume as a blood donation activity was held last July 20 at the Regional Training Center in Mintal.
“It was our first field activity since the lockdown. Hopefully, this is the start of the resumption of the much-needed blood donation drives in the city,” he said.
The PRC Davao Chapter continues to implement its mandates relative to Covid-19 pandemic according to Department of Health issued Memorandum No. 2020-0124 or the interim guidelines on ensuring blood safety, and adequacy for Covid-19 response, and supported by the PRC Administrative Memo No. 5 series of 2020 relative to the blood services interim guidelines on Covid-19.