Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-18
By Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Cold weather has deterred people from donating blood in Taipei, which greatly reduced the city’s blood reserves to a four day reserve level, said Taipei Blood Center Wednesday.

The center said Thursday that the city has been facing a shortage of blood since before the Lunar New Year with blood reserves at all hospitals below a seven day reserve level. The sudden drop in temperature had deterred people from donating blood, said the center.

Despite the surge in blood donation following the earthquake in southern Taiwan, the amount of blood donation is far lower than is required, said Lin Min-chang of the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation (TBSF).

Among the six blood donation centers nationwide, the Taipei branch is currently experiencing the most severe shortage of blood of all types, with only a 4.1 day reserve level, and there might not be enough blood in reserve when in case of emergency, Lin added. The national average of blood reserves are at a six day reserve level.     [FULL  STORY]