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| Secretary Lo says it's ok to give blood as he revealed HK needs 650 units of blood daily (File) |
Hong Kong ‘s Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau has revealed a plan to get more people to donate blood by introducing a reward scheme for donors.
Lo made the disclosure in a question-and-answer at
the Legislative Council yesterday, June 19, during which he was asked by legislator
Peter Douglas Koon on the Department of Health’s plan to meet the need to
collect 650 units of blood daily to provide to hospitals across the city.
He said that the reward scheme to be launched by the Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) will see blood donors earning points by donating blood and redeem them for various rewards through its mobile application, “HK Blood.”
“At the same time, the BTS also plans to collaborate
with various enterprises and organisations through the reward platform, so as
to join hands with different sectors of the community to promote blood donation,”
he said.
He was responding to Koon’s query on whether the
Department was considering following the practices of other countries t of
collaborating with organizations, to offer non-cash, but material rewards to
blood donors such as supermarket coupons for buying daily necessities.
Koon also suggested Hong Kong follow the practice of
some countries, like Australia and Italy, of allowing employees time off work
if they donate blood.
Another suggestion was for the Department to
consider sending alerts through SMS to donors to donate again, or encourage
deferred donors to do so already.
Finally, he suggested adjusting the operating hours
of donor centers or set up a center in each of the 18 districts across the
territory to make it more convenient for would-be donors, especially those who
need to go to work, to give blood.
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Lo replied that since there is no substitute for blood and the shelf life of blood is limited, “it is of particular importance for citizens to donate blood voluntarily and benevolently on a regular basis, so that a timely supply of blood of assured safety and quality can be secured for patients in need of rescue.”
In line with this, he said the BTS used to give a range
of medals and certificates to blood donors. During special occasions like
Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day, the BTS also used to present souvenirs to
donors as a token of appreciation, and encourage others to also donate.
In recent years, the BTS is said to have designed a
variety of “practical souvenirs” to encourage more donations, and in future,
will adopt a points system in awarding rewards with help from various
enterprises and organizations.
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| TAWAG NA! |
At present, some of these private enterprises have
been arranging to get their staff to donate blood when mobile blood donation
vehicles visit their place, or they organize group donation by visiting the
donor centers as a kind of staff team building activity.
A number of such enterprises have also introduced
half-day paid leave for staff who sign up for blood donation.
Starting October 2023, the BTS has also started a "BloodTHX"
SMS to thank donors and notifiy them
when the donated blood has reached hospitals for use by patients, for them to
better appreciate the significance of
their charitable work. Eligible donors
are also invited to donate blood again, so as to stabilise the supply at the
blood bank.
Lo said that the BTS has been developing more
communication channels with the public, such as the setting up of the
"Blood for Life" WhatsApp channel in December 2023 to provide the
latest donation information and maintain communication with the public, in
particular the younger generation.
All the blood donor centers under the BTS are open
until 7pm everyday, and mobile blood donation teams are dispatched regularly to
the 18 districts in the city to facilitate blood donation from government
departments and various enterprises.
Since 2021, the BTS has set up a blood donation
centrer at Immigration Tower in Wan Chai while a new one will be set up at the
new immigration complex in Tseung Kwan
O.
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