Private hospitals urged to promote blood donation

The health ministry urges private hospitals to promote voluntary blood donation even as it continues to make progress in recruiting more donors.

According to a press release the National Blood Transfusion Services had collected 5,643 units of blood by the end of November. It accounted for 82% of the blood collected this year. Sixty-seven per cent of the blood collected was from voluntary donors. The other public hospitals accounted for 760 units of blood of which only13% was from voluntary donors.

Private hospitals collected 524 units of blood, none from voluntary donors.