A-Negative Blood Donors Needed Tomorrow, Sat, At Rajavej Hospital

[NancyL]

Just had a conversation with Saskia and Natasha, the two English-language social workers at Rajavej Hospital. They are asking for help in locating two donors for A-negative blood for tomorrow, Saturday, November 3 at the hospital.

A foreign resident of Chiang Mai is scheduled to undergo surgery at Rajavej Hospital on Sunday and the doctor has asked to have two units of A-negative blood available. This blood group is much more common with foreigners than with Thai people.

They say they've contacted every possible source in Chiang Mai -- the other hospitals and the Red Cross, but no one has this blood type on hand and the doctor says that no other blood type will be suitable.

Potential donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in good health (rules out just about everyone I know!) But, hopefully someone with this blood type and within the age range is able to go to Rajavej Hospital tomorrow to donate. That's the hospital across from the Holiday Inn.

Saskia or Natasha can be reached at 085 695 5831. I hope the mods will permit this number to remain on the post -- it's not a personal number, but one that many people have because they share the phone for business at the hospital.

[mcgriffith]

No worries with this, Nancy.

These emergency appeals for blood are an exception to the usual phone rule.

I am A-, but unfortunately am 61, and not in tip-top health. Had Hep A 40 years ago in South Asia, and that is one of the questionnaire items that knocked me off the blood donor list decades ago, otherwise I would be happy to help.

Hopefully some kind Samaritan will be able to donate.

[NancyL]

Thank you, McG for allowing the mobile number of Natashia and Saskia to remain on the forum. Looks like we've located one potential donor, so we need just one more person to step forward.

Hope someone can help!

[NancyL]

Just got word from Rajavej that donors were located. I know of at least one who learned about the need from Thai Visa. A couple other people came forward also, so perhaps they learned about it from TV also.

The operation on Sunday was a success and the patient has been discharged already! Of course, the patient wants to extend thanks and gratitude.

Way to go!

[Cuban]

Considering the frequency and nature of these requests; I recall some years ago someone setting up or volenteering to be the central contact point for stand-by donors offering blood and those that were seeking particular un-common groups in this region.

I only found this thread as I was looking for such a contact person to registr with while I'm in Thailand.

Some years ago I donated for an urgent case of a young Thai girl in BKK, I'm still in-touch with her father.

[NancyL]

It's my understanding the Red Cross and hospitals do this on an adhoc basis -- at least for especially rare types like those in the Rh negative group. Part of the problem is that the foreign population here is transient -- sure there are resident foreigners, but they travel, move, get new mobile numbers, etc. Also, another big problem is that the cut-off age for donation is age 60, thus eliminating a big pool of potential foreign donors resident in Chiang Mai.

Using forums like Thai Visa and asking those with large local email distribution lists for publicity has worked well in the handful of cases I've known about.

[happyme]

Hi NancyL and donor I would like to thank you very much for your help in getting me A negative blood for my operation.

Now on the mend now is recovery time

I would like to bring to the notice of all A negative persons I have been told in the world there are only 5% of us and in Chiang Mai maybe 1/2 percent are A Negative

I would ask all A negative persons to send your detail to Rajavrej hospital so they can put you on a data base for all hospitals to use better safe than sorry you may never know when you may need it

[NancyL]

Wow! Thank you Happyme -- it's nice to learn everything worked out well.