Thai Red Cross ‘Missing Type’ project urges donors to give blood more often
Only 55 per cent of blood donors give blood annually, with just 8 per cent of them doing so every three months, the director of the Thai Red Cross Society’s National Blood Centre said on Tuesday.
Ubonwan Jaroonruengrit said this was a major reason behind the country’s growing shortage during a period of rising demand for blood.
Hoping that people would donate their blood more often – at least twice a year – she said the Thai Red Cross Society had launched a project called “Missing Type” to increase public awareness about the importance of blood donations.
The project – a collaboration between the Thai Red Cross Society and the Alliance of Blood Operators, a non-profit organisation – will see people removing the blood-type letters A, B and O from their names, signage or logos at 11.11am on June 11 and placing them along with the hashtag #missingtypeTH.
The aim is to encourage the overall level of blood donation, remind donors to make a second trip to the blood bank or motivate new people to donate blood, Ubonwan explained.
The Alliance of Blood Operators has joined with partners in 34 countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, Italy, Australia, Japan, China and Taiwan, to host the project in each country this year.
The “Missing Type” project in Thailand – as part of the “Big Blood Campaign” – was officially announced to the media on Monday by society secretary-general Dr Phan Wannamethee, ahead of “World Blood Donor Day” on June 14.
To celebrate this annual event, the National Blood Centre in Bangkok – as well as regional offices in Lop Buri, Chon Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Mai and Songkhla – will organise an activity with the slogan “Be there for someone else. Give blood. Share life” on June 10, in a bid to make people realise the importance of blood donation and the value of giving without wanting anything in return.