Emptying blood reservoir (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
ULSAN, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) –The ongoing instability in blood supply in South Korea has compelled blood centers to restrict the quantities of blood distributed to healthcare facilities. According to the Korean Red Cross Ulsan Blood Center, as of 11 a.m. on February 8, the blood inventory in the Ulsan area was at 6.3 days’ worth of supply.
Under normal circumstances, a blood inventory sufficient for 5 days is considered adequate. However, blood centers aim to increase this to over 7 days ahead of holiday periods like the Lunar New Year to ensure preparedness for emergencies.
The situation is particularly dire for certain blood types, with O and A types only having a 4.9-day supply and AB type even less at 4.7 days, falling short of the usual adequate levels.
Winter presents a perennial challenge for blood donation due to the cold weather deterring participation, and the coinciding school holidays for middle, high school, and university students further exacerbate the issue.
The upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, during which many blood donation centers close, adds to the concern, putting additional strain on blood supply efforts.
In response, blood centers nationwide have been regulating the amount of blood supplied to medical facilities, particularly those with emergency patients, since January 15. The Ulsan Blood Center, for instance, has reduced its daily blood supply to hospitals from 250 units to 200 units, a cut of about 20%.
Efforts to attract new donors, especially from the younger demographic, are also underway. Since February 2, promotional activities such as offering photo cards of the idol group Seventeen as gifts have been initiated.
Additionally, to address the shortage during the Lunar New Year holiday, a special promotion on February 7-8 and 14-15 will offer a 10,000 won Onnuri gift voucher to blood donors, aiming to encourage more participation.
Choi In-gyu, the director of the Ulsan Blood Center, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “We have been doing our best to resolve the ongoing blood shortage since January. We urge citizens to actively participate in blood donation.”
Citizens interested in donating blood can visit their local blood donation center starting the day after the Lunar New Year holiday. Information on the operating hours of blood donation centers during the holiday can be found on the website of the Korean Red Cross Blood Services.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
