Single and no ang pao to give out this Chinese New Year? Why not give blood instead?

Group O blood supplies in Singapore are at critical levels, and donors are urgently needed.

Here’s what you need to know.

Donors Urgently Needed as Group O Blood Supply in Singapore Hits Critical Levels

Singapore’s Group O blood supply has hit critical levels — but what does this mean?

Simply put, only six days’ worth of Group O blood supply are left in Singapore — that’s why Group O blood donors are urgently needed. A minimum of a nine-day supply is required to respond to emergencies.

We’ll get straight to the point — if you fulfil the following conditions, do consider coming forward to donate blood over the next two weeks leading up to Chinese New Year:

1. Blood group O+ or O-
2. Aged between 16 and 60 years old
3. Weigh at least 45kg
4. Generally in good health
5. Have not had any symptoms of infection (e.g. sore throat, cough, runny nose, or diarrhoea) for at least a week
6. Have not taken antibiotics for the last seven days
7. Have a haemoglobin level of at least 13.0g/dl for males and 12.5g/dl for females

You can do a quick eligibility check on the HSA website here. If you’re eligible to donate blood, you can download the DonateBlood app (on IOS or Android) to schedule an appointment.

Who knows? Perhaps you’d huat more if you donated blood.

There are multiple locations islandwide where you can donate blood:

1. Bloodbank@HSA
2. Bloodbank@Dhoby Ghaut
3. Bloodbank@Woodlands
4. Bloodbank@Westgate Tower
5. Bloodbank@One Punggol
6. Other community blood drives

Shiok. Can donate blood then walk home and nua.

However, do take note that certain Bloodbanks will be closed during the Chinese New Year period, so it’s better to come forward to donate blood sooner rather than later.

For reference, the opening hours of the Bloodbanks during the Chinese New Year period are below:

• 9 February: All Bloodbanks open for whole blood donation from 9 am to 2 pm
• 10 February: All Bloodbanks closed
• 11 February: All Bloodbanks closed
• 12 February: All Bloodbanks except Bloodbank@HSA will be open for whole blood donation

What to do in Preparation for Blood Donation

If you’ll be donating blood, ensure you get adequate rest the night before your donation.

Regardless of whether or not you’re donating blood, you should be trying to get adequate rest lah. Stop scrolling TikTok before bed. 

On the day of your donation, have a light meal and drink plenty of fluids. Remember to bring an official photo identification such as an NRIC, work pass, or passport for registration.

And if you’re below 18 years old, remember to get a signed parental consent form lah, hor? You can find the form here.

You probably know why Group O blood supplies are essential unless you were dozing off in primary school science classes.

No, it’s not because Group O blood is more resistant to mosquitoes or whatnot. It’s because Group O blood is the universal blood group — that means no matter what blood group you are, you can receive Group O blood.

This comes to the forefront during emergencies when patients’ blood groups are unknown — it’s more likely than not that these patients will end up receiving Group O blood.

You can do some maths here lah. If there’s not enough Group O blood supply, there’s no blood for these patients whose blood groups are unknown. It doesn’t help that half of all patients in Singapore have Group O blood and, thus, can only receive Group O blood.

While currently, there are six days’ worth of Group O blood supply left in Singapore, if the situation worsens, this will impact elective surgeries and life-saving blood transfusions.

So, if you fulfil the eligibility criteria, what are you waiting for? Come forward and help someone out now.