Status of Blood Supply and Demand in Healthcare System and Protocols for Rapid Mobilisation in Emergencies

10 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the current status of blood supply and demand for blood in our healthcare system; and (b) what are the measures being taken to ensure that there is an adequate supply of blood across all blood types, especially those that are rare.

11 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Health (a) how prepared is the nation's blood supply to handle emergencies or disasters that may lead to a sudden spike in demand; and (b) what protocols are in place for rapid mobilisation of blood resources in such scenarios.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: Currently, the national blood inventory for all blood types is at a healthy level. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has been taking proactive measures to maintain the blood supply at a level that can meet the national blood demand. These include organising more group donations, sending SMSes to blood donors of specific blood groups to donate when inventory falls and using social media messages to encourage more blood donations.

As for rare blood types, HSA maintains a registry of suitable donors and may freeze the donated blood and thaw them for use as necessary. HSA has in place contingency plans and emergency preparedness protocols, as part of the National Blood Programme, to respond to emergencies and to meet blood demand surge.