S’pore Red Cross Appeals for Group AB- Blood Donors As Stocks are at Critical Level

By
Champa Ha
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Singapore, if you got ABs, flaunt it.

Or at the very least, save lives.

The ABs in this case means type AB blood, specifically AB-, and the Singapore Red Cross is the one asking for AB- blood donors to show up and donate because of a critical shortage of that blood type.

The organisation published an urgent call for donations in a Facebook post on 21 Nov, stressing the need for AB- type blood.

Give Them Blood, Blood, Gallons of the Stuff!

The post highlighted the need for the blood type for its life-saving importance for patients in urgent need.

While stock levels of the other blood types are healthy, according to the Singapore Red Cross website, stocks for AB+ blood is currently marked as low.

AB- blood, in comparison, is marked as “critical”.

When hovered over, the blood bag icon representing the blood type reinforces the urgency: “We urgently need your blood NOW. Please donate today.”

It doesn’t help, of course, that AB- is the rarest blood type in Singapore.

According to the Singapore Red Cross, currently less than 1% of the population in Singapore has AB- blood.

The donor pool of AB- blood is much less, recorded at only 0.1% in 2023, according to the Health Sciences Authority.

How To Save A Life

Potential donors can check their eligibility on the Health Sciences Authority website before booking an appointment.

Once assessed, donors can visit the Singapore Red Cross website, and click on the ‘Donate Now’ button. They can then make an appointment to donate at a blood bank after logging in with their SingPass details.

You can watch this video to know more about blood donation, and whether you’d feel weak after donating blood:

Healthy individuals between the ages of 16 and 60 and weigh at least 45 kg are encouraged to donate blood.

Blood donations are typically used to treat patients with leukemia, thalassaemia and bleeding disorders, and those undergoing major surgeries.

One unit of blood can save up to three lives, according to Singapore Red Cross.

That’s a lot. Imagine, just donating blood means you’ve saved around up to three people!

The general eligibility criteria, according to the HSA site shares that potential blood donors should:

  • Be in good health
  • Not have had any symptoms of infection, such as sore throat, cough, runny nose or diarrhoea for at least one week
  • Not have had a fever in the last four weeks
  • Not have taken antibiotics for the last seven days. If you have taken antibiotics, wait at least one week from the last dose
  • Weigh at least 45 kg
  • Have a haemoglobin level of at least 13.0g per decilitre for males and 12.5g per decilitre for females

For those looking to donate blood, they should do the following:

  • DO: Have adequate rest the night before.
  • DO: Eat a light meal and drink plenty of fluids.
  • DO: Bring an official form of identification with photo such as an NRIC, work pass or passport for registration. (If you are 16 or 17-years-old, by the way, your parents would need to sign a parental consent form.)
  • DON’T: Travel before donating blood. Donors should, in fact, donate blood before their travels to avoid risk of getting insect-borne infection risks that may make them ineligible to donate for a period of time.

For more information on eligibility as well as other facts about blood, potential doors should visit HSA’s website.

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Champa Ha