Foreigners give blood to help stock 'rare' supply
- Source: Global Times
- [08:54 April 26 2011]
- Comments
Kirsten Olson from the US gives blood at a private hospital in Changning district Monday at a blood drive targeting foreigners, aimed at boosting the local supply of RH negative blood, which is more commonly found in Caucasians than Chinese people. Photo: Cai Xianmin/GT
By Miranda Shek
A modest group of 30 foreigners with a blood type less commonly found among Chinese people answered the call to donate Monday in a blood drive jointly organized by the Shanghai Blood Center and privately owned United Family Hospital.
Shen Xingfeng, vice president of the Shanghai Blood Center, said that the event was aimed at beefing up the local supply of Rh negative blood.
"Only three out of every 1,000 Asians have Rh negative blood, while 15 percent of Caucasians tend to have the blood type," he told the Global Times Monday. "So, we are reaching out to the expatriates in the city for their help."
Shen said that the city currently has a mere 200 units of the blood type in stock, far below the 8,000 units it needs to meet the annual needs of patients in the city, who generally demand at least 400 liters of the blood.
According to Tyrone Bristol, chief medical officer of United Family Hospital, conducting the blood drive at the Changning district hospital allowed donors the chance to give in a trusted environment.
"Foreigners are generally skeptical about donating blood in China," he told the Global Times Monday. "They worry about hygiene standards at local clinics."
The sentiments were echoed by Kirsten Olson Monday, who gave her blood to the cause.
"I wanted to give blood to Chengdu after the Wenchuan earthquake," Olson, who used to give her blood regularly when she was back home, told the Global Times Monday. "But I didn't think the local clinics were clean or safe."
Shen from the Shanghai Blood Center added that similar joint efforts with other foreign hospitals in the city are in the pipeline.