Phuket RBC’s urgent call for blood donations ahead of Songkran
Phuket Regional Blood Centre (Phuket RBC) issued an urgent call for blood donors of all types to help increase the blood supply during the Songkran holidays. To incentivise donors, the centre is offering free Give Blood Save Life T-shirts to those who donate blood at their Phuket Town offices between April 9-11, from 8.30am to 7.30pm, or between April 12-16, from 9am to 3.30pm.
The initiative is designed to bring brightness and cheer during the Songkran festivities, according to an announcement by the Phuket RBC. However, the need for blood is urgent and serious, as the centre’s reserves for transfusions are critically low. This shortage is exacerbated by a rise in road accidents, leading to a greater demand for all types of blood for transfusions from Phuket hospitals.
As of March 30, there have been 52 recorded road fatalities in the province since the beginning of the year, compared to 33 in the first quarter of 2023. As of April 9, the road accident toll in Phuket for the year has risen to 53 deaths and 7,613 hospital admissions due to injuries sustained in road accidents.
With the Songkran holidays being among the most perilous days of the year on Thailand’s roads, a further increase in accidents and injuries is anticipated. Therefore, the Phuket RBC is especially in need of Rh-negative donors, though donors of all types are welcome.
Donations can be made directly at the Phuket RBC in Phuket Town, which operates on various schedules throughout the week, or at Vachira Phuket Hospital on Yaowarat Road in Phuket Town. The Phuket RBC and Vachira Phuket Hospital can be reached via their respective telephone numbers and Facebook pages for further enquiries, reported Phuket News.
In related news, the Karon Municipality in Phuket yesterday put to rest concerns raised by locals over an incident involving a 67 year old monk, Phra Manop Nonthakho, who was believed to have stripped naked at Karon Beach.
A representative of the municipality, Adisak Phromsila, clarified that the monk originally from Nakhon Sawan province had not fully disrobed but kept on his half-length robe while taking a dip in the sea.
