Blood shortage, more burden

Blood shortages at medical facilities often occur during summer or before Tet. However, this year, the situation has become more complicated and prolonged, greatly affecting treatment and causing patients and their families to face many difficulties and expenses. In this context, the early establishment of blood donation mobilization committees in communes and wards has become urgent.

A patient with thalassemia needs to be transfused with 3-4 units of blood, but has only received 1 unit so the hospital stay is prolonged waiting for family members to donate blood.

Supply cannot meet demand

At Thai Nguyen A Hospital - one of the provincial treatment units, on average 30-50 units of blood are needed each day to serve patients. However, for nearly a month now, the amount of blood supplied has only fluctuated between 10-12 units/day (mainly from patients' relatives).

Doctor CKI Do Thai Phuong, Deputy Head of the Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, said: The main source of blood that the hospital gets is from the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and Thai Nguyen Central Hospital. Previously, each time we went to collect blood in Hanoi , we usually brought back 70-100 units, but the last time we only received 2 units.

Due to the scarcity of blood, only emergency cases are currently given priority for blood transfusion, but immediately after that, the patient's family will have to donate blood to compensate. Otherwise, the hospital's treatment will be hindered.

There are many reasons for the severe blood shortage. First of all, students - the main blood donor force - are on summer vacation. Along with that, the process of merging and rearranging the administrative apparatus has caused the district-level blood donation steering committee to no longer operate, while the commune level has not yet had time to establish replacement mobilization committees. In addition, after the Covid-19 pandemic, people's health has somewhat declined, which has also significantly affected the number of voluntary blood donors.

On average, every day at Thai Nguyen A Hospital, about 20-30 patients' relatives come to do blood typing tests to donate blood.

Patients are more burdened

Ms. La Thi Tien, from Dinh Hoa commune, has a child with congenital hemolytic anemia (Thalassemia) for over 17 years. In recent years, every month her child has to go to the hospital to receive 2-3, even 4 units of blood. This time, because there was no blood to transfuse, after she donated 1 unit of blood, her child received that 1 unit of blood.

Because the amount of blood transfused was not enough, even though she had been hospitalized for 5 days, she was still quite tired. Her husband and family members were mobilized to Thai Nguyen Central Hospital (the only medical unit in the area that is allowed to receive donated blood, then screen and produce blood) to donate blood. Although she knew that blood from people with the disease gene was not as good as from healthy people, having blood to transfuse at this time was the most important thing, Ms. La Thi Tien shared.

The story of Ms. Nong Thi Thu (Cao Bang) also partly reflects the passivity and pressure that the patient's family must bear. During the surgery, her mother needed an emergency blood transfusion and the hospital immediately provided 2 units of blood to overcome the danger.

However, immediately after that, the family had to urgently mobilize relatives to donate blood. Therefore, the patient's family had to rent a private car from Cao Bang for the day trip (more than 200km), costing 3 million VND, not to mention the cost of food and testing. That was a real burden for the patient's family.

For patients who are not in emergency situations, blood can only be given when relatives donate blood.

For Ms. Tran Thi Hanh in Phu Luong commune, her 10-month-old daughter was just diagnosed with thalassemia, which was a huge shock. Although she was advised to be hospitalized immediately, because her daughter was not an emergency, she still had to wait for a family member to donate blood before she could be treated. Therefore, even though she had taken her daughter to the provincial hospital, she still had to take her daughter home and ask her uncle to complete the blood donation procedure before she could be hospitalized.

Not only do patients and their relatives have difficulties, doctors also have a hard time explaining and instructing, and sometimes have to go and persuade relatives and acquaintances to donate instead if the family member cannot meet the requirements. Many emergency cases require urgent blood transfusions, but then cannot be returned, causing the pressure of blood shortage to continue.

Need to act soon for the sick

Blood shortage is not only a problem in Thai Nguyen but is happening nationwide. According to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, in July and August 2025, the Northern region needs about 90,000 units of blood, of which 15,000 units of blood type O alone are needed. However, there is still a shortage of about 30,000 units of blood that need to be supplemented.

Thai Nguyen is one of the localities with a large number of patients with hematological diseases, especially congenital hemolytic anemia - a disease that requires lifelong blood transfusions. Without a stable blood supply, patients will face treatment delays, directly affecting their quality of life, even their lives.

Currently, some volunteer groups and voluntary blood donation teams at hospitals are still providing timely support to some cases, but the number of participants is limited. Meanwhile, if there is a strong participation from the local authorities - the place closest to the people, the effectiveness of blood donation mobilization will be higher, more proactive and more sustainable.

Doctors of the Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Hospital A, perform blood typing techniques.

Anemia is not only a problem of the health sector but also a social problem. Anemia affects chronic patients, especially in emergency and unexpected cases such as surgery, accidents (ruptured organs, severe trauma...), obstetric diseases (ruptured ectopic pregnancy, placenta previa with massive bleeding...). Each unit of blood not only brings a chance of life to a person but also the hope of an entire family.

More than ever, the authorities of communes and wards need to quickly establish blood donation mobilization committees and carry out activities in a systematic manner. Along with that, it is necessary to arouse the spirit of compassion and sharing in the community, especially the youth union members - those who are always at the forefront of volunteer activities.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202507/khan-hiem-mau-them-ganh-nang-0051f07/