PMI Bandung Targets 400 Donors to Fulfill Daily Blood Pumpkins

The city of Bandung has a high potential for voluntary donors, namely 82,784 people. Seeing this potential, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) of Bandung City is optimistic that it can achieve the target of 400 blood flasks in the World Blood Donor Day activity, on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

On this occasion, the Mayor of Bandung, Yana Mulyana also participated by donating blood.

“With donors, apart from being healthy, we can save other people. The enthusiasm of the community in this activity is extraordinary. There are around 82,784 voluntary donors in Bandung, this is a very good potential," said Yana after the blood donation.

In fact, Yana said, there is one donor who has donated blood more than 200 times.

"From the age of 17, my mother has donated blood, more than 200 times. It doesn't count how many people have been helped from the mother's blood,” he said.

The figure is named Atikah, this middle-aged woman has been donating blood since she was 17 years old. Starting from his uncle's invitation to participate in blood donation at the Bandung Institute of Technology campus.

After that, he regularly donates blood to PMI until now at the age of 54.

“I regularly donate blood every 2.5 months. I want to donate blood because I can't donate money. So, I think I can help people with my blood,” explained Atikah.

Meanwhile, the Head of Public Relations of PMI Bandung City, Budi Wandina explained, the current condition of the blood donation cycle in Bandung City has started to improve again after Eid al-Fitr. In fact, in the blood donation celebration last June 7, the number of blood flasks from donors reached 1,000 pumpkins.

"After the pandemic, the number fell by 50 percent. Now, the average is above 400 pumpkins, even at that time there was an excitement of up to 1,000 on June 7 last," said Budi.

Talking about negative rhesus donors, he said, the total number of residents registered to have this rare blood was 25,000 in the city of Bandung. However, only a few dozen people actively donate.

“Because this blood is rare, so it is for the donor itself by request. I'm worried that he will donate when no one is in need, so we limit the number of donors," he said.

He added, PMI usually only keeps a stock of rhesus negative blood of no more than 10 flasks to protect urgent needs.

The average need for rhesus negative blood in the city of Bandung per month reaches 10 people.

"Rhesus negative can only accept and donate to others because this is one of the rare bloods that we have to deal with when there is a need, we are still ready," he said.

"Because red blood cells can only last 30 days, while for platelets it's only 5-7 days. If it's more than that, it's expired," he added. (din)*

Head of Discominfo Bandung

Yayan A. Brilyana