Hong Kong blood donations dry up because of Covid-19 pandemic, but no sign of rebound as restrictions ease, online survey shows
- Average annual blood donation frequency drops by 60 per cent since pandemic struck city
- Doctor’s warning over ageing population with high blood demand and a fall in numbers of young people, the most eligible group for donations
Blood donation in Hong Kong has plummeted during the Covid-19 crisis, with no sign of recovery even as pandemic restrictions begin to ease, a study by a medical group has found.
Doctors warned on Tuesday that public misconceptions over blood use should be dispelled to help improve knowledge of the need for donations and that a demographic time bomb underlined the need for people to volunteer to give the gift of life to others.
They added that people should also be made aware of the need to keep their blood healthy with a good diet and exercise to help cut demand for transfusions.
“As we all know, ageing population is a factor which contributes to a three to 5 per cent increase of blood demand each year,” said Dr Cheng Hung-kai, the chairman of the Hong Kong Society of Clinical Blood Management.
“For youngsters, their population have been declining for the past decade. For those aged 13 to 24, we expect their population to have dropped by 30 per cent from 2011 to 2023, but they are the most eligible group for blood donation. As these numbers cancel one another out, Hong Kong’s blood demand would only keep rising.”
Cheng was speaking after an online survey by the society found that Hongkongers’ average annual blood donation frequency had dropped by 60 per cent since the pandemic began in early 2020.