By Thursday morning, the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases had treated 418 Covid-19 cases, including 28 patients being in critical condition while another 41 experienced worsening health.
A Covid-19 patient at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases
Over the past two weeks, the National Institute of Haematology & Blood Transfusion has transported a total 240 blood units to Covid-19 patients at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
Dr. Bach Quoc Khanh, Head of the National Institute of Haematology & Blood Transfusion said that the blood transfusion is often needed for Covid-19 patients with pneumonia and underlying diseases.
A 64-year-old Covid-19 female patient required up to 64 blood units in a two-week period. A 22-year-old woman who suffered from sepsis syndrome and aplastic anaemia used 15 blood units during a two week-week period. A 54-year-old patient in Thai Binh Province was also in the same situation.
According to Dr. Hoang Nhat Le, head of the Blood Storage and Distribution Department under the National Institute of Haematology & Blood Transfusion, since the most recent Covid-19 wave in Vietnam, the number of blood donors has sharply decreased, resulting in a serious blood shortage. The institute has even received only 70 units on some days, accounting for just 30% of the target. Meanwhile, blood demand for Covid-19 patients has been on the rise.
In the first 12 days of this month, the institute got only 2,920 blood units but the supply was up to 4,822.
At present, the institute needs around 1,000 blood units and 200 units of platelets to provide for medical facilities. However, in this context, the agency has had to temporarily suspend operations to save blood for more serious cases. Patient relatives are also being encouraged to make blood donations.
