Little seems to be going right for Thailand at the moment, especially when it comes to public health.
Not only are the country’s daily Covid-19 cases still extremely high, but the Thailand Red Cross Society is now begging Thais and others in the kingdom to donate blood.
This due to a severe shortage of blood reserves that is causing the postponement of surgeries, including those for people with life-threatening health problems.
The government lockdown due to Covid-19 is one of the reasons why Thailand’s blood supply is low.
After all, all but forced to remain in their homes in many areas of the country due to government Covid-19 mandates, people are not donating blood like they normally do.
Some are scared to leave their homes for anything but necessities
Others are staying away from medical facilities where blood donations are given for fear of contracting the Covid-19 virus from patients that may be being cared for there. (This is an unfounded fear, but they are frightened nevertheless)
Like many scientists are now beginning to warn around the world, the result of lockdowns and other economic and mental health-destroying Covid-19 restrictions could end up causing more problems than the virus itself.
According to the Director of the National Blood Centre of the Thai Red Cross Society, Dr Dutjai Chaivanichsiri, the blood shortage in Thailand has been a problem for some time.
In the last few weeks, however, it has become critical.
So much so, an 87 year old Scottish expat, Peter Ferry, who has lived in Thailand for 67 years, was recently forced to beg the public for blood donations so he could have much-needed heart surgery.
Dr. Dutjai explained each one of the almost 350 hospitals in Thailand needs an average of 8,000 units of blood per day just to treat their normal patient load.
At the moment, however, the National Blood Centre can only provide 30% of that amount, or around 2,300 units per hospital per day.
The doctor asks that anyone that is healthy and can travel to a local hospital or blood donation facility to donate blood please do so as soon as possible.
Otherwise, even more surgeries could be postponed due to the blood shortage in Thailand, which could put hundreds of people’s lives in danger.
