For more information contact: Phuket Regional Blood Center
38/193 Rattanakosin 200 years Rd., T. Taladnua, Phuket. Phone 076-251-178 or 081-9588854, phuketrbc@yahoo.com, Facebook: Rh Negative Club of Phuket or visit www.blooddonationthai.com/region/phuket/
Important Information for Foreigners From Phuket Red Cross
99.7 per cent of Thais have RH Positive (Rh +), RH Negative (Rh-) is rare among Thais.
Foreigners have a much higher incidence of RH Negative blood. For every 100 foreign accident patients who need blood, 16 of them will require RH Negative blood.
With only around 20 foreigners who donate blood regularly each month in Phuket, and the limited number of RH Negative blood collected from the Thai population, the hospitals never have enough stock of this type of blood.
RH Negative (Rh-) blood is very rare among Thai people so the Thai Red Cross Blood Bank sometimes does not have adequate stores of Rh- blood when it is urgently needed.
The RH Negative blood Register is a resource for Embassies, and hospitals to call when Rh- blood is needed. Calls can then be made to the volunteers on the list to look for an eligible and available donor. Registered donors can be removed from the list at any time.
RH Negative (Rh-) blood is rare, 15 per cent in Europeans and less than 1 per cent in Asians. When this blood type is required donors are rare, which can cause major problems.
First of all it is not always available when needed. Secondly, if a volunteer wishes to donate regularly the red cells can only be stored for up to six weeks, but the platelets last only five days.
To avoid wasting valuable blood supplies, it may be advised that donors wait for the Red Cross to contact you personally when the demand for blood increases.
If you know that you’re RH Negative (Rh-), we really do need your details. Please remember that if you’re RH Negative (Rh-) and have an accident, you may need the blood of other donors.
Facts
– You cannot give blood from one person to another unless it’s a match.
– A person with RH Negative (Rh-) blood can’t receive RH Positive (Rh +) blood.
– RH Negative (Rh-) blood is rare, very rare, not just in Phuket but all over Thailand.
– We can’t get –RH Negative (Rh-) blood from the Thai population, they don’t have it.
– Only a very few foreign people who live in Phuket with RH Negative (Rh-) blood are regular donors.
– When a foreign patient is admitted to hospital and requires RH Negative (Rh-) blood, stocks can be exhausted quickly and urgent calls are then made through the media to obtain more.
– When people donate blood, they usually give one unit, around 500ml.
– Many accident patients need many units of blood to survive; some as many as 10-15 units.
– Modern processing techniques mean that a single blood donation, when separated into its components, can help 3 different patients.
– Red Cells: The majority of donated blood goes to people with cancer, as well as people who have suffered traumatic accidents, burns or those undergoing surgery.
– Plasma, contains very important proteins, nutrients and clotting factors which help to prevent and stop bleeding. It is the most versatile component of your blood and donated plasma makes up to 17 life-saving products that help patients with trauma, burns and blood diseases.
– Your platelet donation helps patients with low platelet count or non-functioning platelets who are bleeding or at high risk of bleeding. This may occur during high dose chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, major surgery, liver disease or severe trauma. Platelets play a crucial role in ensuring our blood can clot when needed. Platelets also contain growth factors that aid in the repair of damaged body tissue.