Norwegian man in ICU saved by Phuket blood donors

PHUKET: The life of a critically ill Norwegian man was saved when O-negative blood donors stepped up last week to provide the three units of blood he desperately needed.

“He received the blood he required and is stable now,” Corporate Social Responsibility Project Manager for Bangkok Hospital Phuket Pareeya Jullaphong told the Phuket Gazette on Tuesday.

Five days earlier, the Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) had put out an urgent call for donations to help the man, who was suffering from anemia and in the intensive care unit (ICU) (story here).

“Bangkok Hospital Phuket said they needed three units of O-negative to save his life, but we have none in stock,” PRBC Chief Pornthip Rattajak told the Gazette last week.

Blood stocks at the PRBC are at a record low, Ms Pornthip said.

Several donors responded immediately, but went to Bangkok Hospital Phuket instead of the PRBC and were turned away because the hospital is unable to collect blood donations (story here).

Ms Pornthip continues to encourage all eligible donors (story here) to help the blood bank bolster its stocks.

The PRBC accepts donations at their headquarters on Rattanakosin 200 Year Road, next to Phuket Provincial Employment Office in Saphan Hin (map here), as follows:

• Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: from 8:30am to 4:30pm (no break for lunch)
• Tuesdays and Thursdays: from 8:30 am to 8pm (no break for lunch)
• Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays: from 9am to 3pm (no break for lunch)

For more information call 076 251178 ext 2 or 081 958 8854.

Donations can also be made at the Vachira Hospital blood bank (map here) from 8:30am to 8pm, Monday-Friday, or from 8:30am to 3pm on weekends and public holidays.

— Chutharat Plerin