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JEDDAH: Healthcare systems around the world have been pushed to their absolute limits by successive waves of COVID-19, which have resulted in overcrowded hospitals, delayed medical procedures and exhausted and overwhelmed doctors and nurses.

A secondary consequence of the global health emergency has been the depletion of blood supplies needed for life-saving transfusions, for use in surgical operations, and to treat medical conditions such as anemia, cancer, and blood disorders. .

Lockdown measures and strict controls on hospital attendance have prevented many people from donating blood. Even when restrictions were lifted, COVID-19 infections and fear of infection kept a swathe of potential donors at home.

Faced with the resulting shortages, health authorities in Saudi Arabia want to increase the Kingdom’s blood stocks, which must be constantly replenished to meet demand.

“There is an increased need for blood. (The situation has) worsened around the world due to the pandemic. The call is constant,” Dr. Maha Badawi, hematology consultant and director of blood transfusion services at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, told Arab News.

“COVID-19 negatively impacted the blood supply around the world and the problem was due to several factors. Although COVID-19 is not transmitted through blood, COVID-19 positive patients and people exposed to positive cases had to self-isolate for periods of time to curb the spread of infection.

“Another impact has been the social distancing measures. Mass campaigns and initiatives have been suspended, in turn limiting the number of donors.

As a result, Saudi Arabia is now experiencing a shortage of type O in its red blood cell stocks, and type AB in its plasma stocks.

A retrospective study from King Abdullah Hospital in Bisha found a 39.5% decrease in blood bank donations during the pandemic. The demand for blood also fell over the same period, by 21.7%, probably due to the many surgeries that had to be cancelled.

A study titled Awareness About Coronavirus and Challenges for Blood Services among Potential Blood Donors, published in 2021 in the medical journal Transfusion and Apheresis Science, used survey data drawn from a representative sample of the Saudi population to assess the factors that prevented people from donating blood.

He found that social distancing measures, misinformation about how the disease is transmitted and lack of knowledge among potential blood donors may have contributed to the prevalence of missed or postponed donations.

The majority of respondents expressed concern about transmission of the virus during the blood donation process. Others feared coming into contact with other donors.

The study authors advised health authorities to promote better donor education, encourage at-risk donors to defer donations, facilitate physical distancing measures and mandate the use of protective equipment. to protect donors and medical personnel.

Faced with these concerns, campaigns have been launched in the Kingdom to reassure the population and encourage them to give blood.

“The need is constant and each hospital blood bank requires a continuous flow to maintain its daily stock, depending on the needs of the hospital,” Badawi said.

“As the longevity of donated blood components varies, the availability of supply also varies. Some components can be stored for a month or two, while others can be stored for up to five days, which means you constantly need donors.

Red blood cells can normally be stored for up to 35 days, but platelets can only be stored for seven days. Plasma can be stored for up to three years.

A number of conditions require patients to receive regular blood transfusions, including sickle cell disease, a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Healthy red blood cells are round and move smoothly through small blood vessels as they carry oxygen throughout the body. In a patient with SCD, the red blood cells are hard and sticky and resemble a crescent or “sickle” shape.

These sickle cells die much faster than regular red blood cells, resulting in a constant shortage of red blood cells. Also, when they travel through small blood vessels, they can get stuck and block blood flow, which can cause pain and serious medical issues.

In Saudi Arabia, about 4.2% of the population carry the sickle cell gene and about 0.26% have symptoms.

“Blood transfusion is an effective treatment option for sickle cell patients because it reduces the amount of hemoglobin S in red blood cells and increases the number of normal red blood cells, thereby increasing the supply of oxygen to the body,” said Dr Qasim Dobie. , assistant professor of hematology at Jazan University, told Arab News.

“Thus, frequent blood transfusions will reduce the risk of stroke, especially in infants and children, and treat and prevent serious complications of sickle cell disease.”

Maintaining sufficient blood supplies is also an essential part of preparations to respond to major incidents, such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks with mass casualties, which could cause hospitals to be overwhelmed by the demand for transfusions.

Currently, donors in the Kingdom must be at least 17 years old, weigh more than 50 kg and pass a brief medical examination. Saudi health authorities have made efforts to increase the number of donation centers in several ways, including introducing a fleet of mobile clinics to facilitate donor participation.

But doctors say there is still room for improvement, especially in terms of raising public awareness and encouraging more donors to come forward.

“Lack of awareness is one of the main causes of the drop in blood donations,” Badawi said. “Blood is the best gift you can give to another human being. There are blood drives throughout the year.

One of the Saudi initiatives is Wateen, an innovative smartphone app currently under the supervision of the Kingdom’s Ministry of Health.

Wateen makes blood donation management easier for citizens and residents by helping registered donors find the nearest clinic, know when to donate, and how many times they donated in total.

“Since its launch in 2018, Wateen has served as a means to unite donors and blood banks under one platform to help maintain adequate supplies,” Meshari Almalki, a spokesperson for Wateen, told Arab News. .

“There is a difference between a voluntary donation and a family/replacement donation. The latter is mainly done through direct messages from family members or acquaintances. The first is what we aim to empower and raise awareness. »

Over half a million registered users have made 1.1 million donations through the platform since its launch. The year-long campaign attracts many new donors, but misunderstandings and misinformation can still cause potential donors to be apprehensive.

“There’s fear that donors won’t be compatible, fear of needles or pain, fear of feeling weak or dizzy after donation, and fear of adverse effects,” Almalki said.

“All of this is understandable. This is why there are medical personnel to ensure the safety and health of donors and recipients. There are standard procedures that apply and that is why, after conducting an investigation, we have launched our latest campaign to face these fears head on and welcome a therapist to answer any questions.

Resources like the Wateen app help bridge the gap between blood demand and supply. But if we are to meet the constant demand and replenish blood stocks following the drain caused by the pandemic, more must be done to attract and reassure new donors.

“When it comes to health facilities, all would benefit from greater collaboration between government authorities, the private sector, education and others for campaigns,” Badawi said.

“Campaigns don’t have to focus solely on blood drives, but can include talks, lectures and information sessions that highlight the importance of blood donation and disprove lies to activate a community of blood donors. blood.

“Getting into the habit of donating twice a year could have a significant impact. Bring a friend or family member, they will also make it a habit.