Deputy director of the Blood Transfusion Unit of the Cianjur Branch of the National Red Cross, Dr. Susilawati, said in Cianjur, West Java, on Friday that during Ramadan, her unit experiences a shortage of blood stocks because of few donors and it is difficult to dispatch mobile units to donor groups.
"During (Ramadan), we can only rely on donors from the patient's family or substitute donors. To attract people's interest, we have prepared surprise prizes to be drawn in May such as mountain bikes, electronic goods, and many other attractive prizes," she informed.
Usually, non-Muslims or people who are not fasting donate blood during Ramadan, she said. However, the contribution does not cover the daily need for blood supply.
Therefore, the Indonesian Red Cross will conduct an initiative under which it will dispatch mobile units on the evening after iftar (breaking the fast). The program will involve managers of mosques as well as sub-district leaders and is aimed at securing blood supply that would last until a week after Eid.
"One week after Eid, the number of donors is usually high, so that the available stock increases again. However, during (Ramadan), we will dispatch mobile unit after breaking the fast to mosques in Cianjur," she said.
Secretary general of the Cianjur Branch of the National Red Cross, Heri Hidayat, said that for better management of the mobile units, his administration will coordinate with donor groups in each sub-district to draw up a schedule for blood donations so that the stock can be secured.
"Every day, including the month of fasting, the need for blood from a number of hospitals never decreases. On the other hand, the stock at the Blood Transfusion Unit at the National Red Cross during fasting is very little because there are only a few donors. We (have addressed the issue) by visiting groups of non-Muslim and Muslim donors to keep donating blood during (Ramadan)," he informed.
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Translator: Ahmad Fikri, Mecca
Editor: Suharto
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