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JAKARTA: Indonesia faces a blood shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fasting month of Ramadan, authorities said.
The problem is prevalent across the country, but the capital Jakarta and other red zones of COVID-19 are facing a major crisis, with the drop in blood supply in March, said the director of the blood donation unit of the Indonesian Red Cross Linda Lukitari Waseso.
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This is very likely because these places have implemented large-scale social restrictions that limit people’s movement.
“Jakarta is currently seeing a blood shortage of up to 70 percent, while the nation’s average blood shortage is 20 percent,” Dr. Waseso told CNA, adding that the shortage ranges from 30 and 60 percent in different locations in Indonesia.
With offices closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, blood donation units in these locations must be discontinued, leading to a significant decrease in blood supply.
An Indonesian nurse takes a blood sample from a woman during a massive rapid test in the midst of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Jakarta on April 23, 2020. (Photo: AFP / Adek Berry)
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With the military and police forces responding to the call for blood donations, the crisis was temporarily alleviated but the blood banks began to dry up again in April when the month of fasting arrived.
Blood donors are urgently needed, as some patients need routine blood transfusions, Dr. Waseso said. These include patients with thalassemia and patients with blood cancer.
“And there are cases of people who suddenly need blood, like accident victims,” he said.
To replenish blood banks, local chapters of the Indonesian Red Cross are sending teams directly to donor doors. People are even encouraged to donate blood by rewarding them with food or disinfectant products.
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SUPPLY SUPPLY IN JAKARTA
Jakarta needs around 1,000 bags of blood a day, but currently only 300 bags are being supplied, said Dr. Salimar Salim, head of the blood transfusion unit of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross.
He explained that Jakarta has always seen a decrease in blood supply during the fasting month of Ramadan because people tend to worry that donating blood may cause them to break the fast or make them dizzy.
The supply shortage worsened this year with COVID-19 forcing people to stay home.
To address this problem, the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross is sending teams to homes or neighborhoods if there are at least 10 people in the area who wish to donate blood.
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However, Dr. Salim noted that the decrease in the number of blood donors is not only a matter of mobility due to social distancing, but also the fear of becoming infected during the donation process.
“Many people fear that they may contract COVID-19 while donating blood,” he said.
Dr. Salim explained that the donation process is safe and that strict physical distance is imposed at the headquarters of the Indonesian Red Cross.
A Tangerang resident donates blood at his home. (Photo: Ade Kurniawan)
All staff members are also equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) and good hygiene is practiced during the process, he said.
In previous years, Jakarta was still plagued with a shortage of blood supply after Ramadan ended because most people would be out of town for Idul Fitri celebrations.
Dr. Salim said that banning the Idul Fitri exodus this year could mean an earlier end to the shortage, with people who will donate blood once they are not fasting.
He explained that Ramadan should not prevent people from donating blood, as it is safe to do so two hours after breaking the fast.
The blood donation unit is open 24 hours so that people can donate blood at night, he said.
Gojek cyclists and large bicycle communities are also helping to replenish blood banks, he added.
FREE BASIC NEEDS AS APPRECIATION TOKEN
Neighboring city Tangerang also faces the same problem with a 70 percent blood supply shortage, said the head of public relations at the Tangerang chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross.
Ade Kurniawan said that before the COVID-19 pandemic and Ramadan, they received around 350 bags of blood daily, but in April the number dropped to 150.
At the beginning of Ramadan, only 100 bags of blood were donated per day.
Like Jakarta, they decided to accommodate donors by visiting them in their homes, but that was not enough yet.
Tangerang chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross visiting donors at his home. (Photo: Ade Kurniawan)
Then they quickly came up with the idea of presenting basic needs to donors as a token of appreciation.
There are four types of baskets available and they contain items like noodles, rice, cooking oil, hand sanitizer, masks, and hand soaps.
“Thank God people are interested,” Kurniawan told CNA.
Since they launched the program about three weeks ago, the number of donors has increased to 250 people daily.
But he stressed that public awareness of the importance of donating blood and the safety of the donation process in the midst of the pandemic is key to ensuring an adequate blood supply.
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Mohammad Rizky Caisar, a 28-year-old Tangerang resident, has been donating his blood regularly for the past 10 years and is still doing so in the current situation.
“I don’t need to be afraid because there is an established procedure. Although there is no guarantee that it will not infect me, I am sure that a good intention will invite a good result,” he told CNA.
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