The National Blood Center is in a state of preparedness in anticipation that much blood supply will be needed as hospitals clear the backlog in surgical and medical procedures that needs to be done by the end of this year.

In anticipation of a steady increase in demand for blood, the center is planning well and co-ordinating with surgeons, clinicians and blood collection sites nationwide.

Statistics of the past show that at least 2,000 units of blood are needed daily nationwide. In the Klang Valley alone there is a need of at least 500 to 600 units daily.

The National Blood Center was responding to the health ministry’s plan to clear some 50,000 backlog surgical and medical procedures by the end of the year.

The backlog is due to surgeries that had to be postponed when hospitals and wards were dealing only with Covid-19 cases.

Until Sept. 30 last year, there were 57,355 backlog cases. Of the number, 53,785 or 93.7 percent were surgical; based and 3,570 or 6.2 percent were medical-based.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE