KOTA BARU: With patients from all flood-hit hospitals in the state transferred to its facility, the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian, here, is doing its best to cope with overwhelming life-saving service demands.
The 767-bed hospital, which had been running over its maximum capacity with over 900 patients since the flood situation worsened, is now calling for donors to replenish its fast-exhausting blood bank as well as extra manpower of medical staff.
HUSM director Datuk Dr Zaidun Kamari said they are in dire need of blood supply, especially from the A negative and AB negative groups which has been depleted.
"Our blood supply is now at alarming level, with all groups of blood: A, B, AB and O, are fewer than 50 pints each.
"The most critical are the A negative and AB negative, which we currently have none.
"I would like to urge the public who are able to come here to donate blood as soon as possible," he said.
Dr Zaidun spoke to the New Straits Times after a handover ceremony of four dialysis machines and two reverse osmosis machines from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Foundation.
He said the hospital's Transfusion Medicine Unit (blood bank) is now open for 24 hours to boost donation drive.
Dr Zaidun said the hospital is also in need of extra hands to relief its manpower.
"Besides blood, we hope for extra human resources to assist our operations here.
"We are shorthanded due to the flood, which also saw some of our staff stranded, while those available had been working since the disaster struck and they are already exhausted."
He said the hospital welcomed assistance from specialist doctors, medical officers and nurses, especially those specialised in haemodialysis.
Since last Tuesday, the hospital has received 210 acute patients who were transferred there from Kuala Krai, Tanah Merah, Pasir Mas, Pasir Putih, Gua Musang, Manik Urai, Tumpat, Badang and Raja Perempuan Zainab (Kota Baru) hospitals.
Dr Zaidun said those who wish to donate their blood can contact the blood bank at 09-7673340 / 019-9538600 (Mohamad Iqmal Mathlan) / 012-9506335 (Dr Salfarina) / 019-9621180 (Dr Amran). Walk-in donors can head to the unit's office or its satellite blood donation area at the hospital's Visitors Hall (opposite the Emergency Department).
Meanwhile, the handover ceremony saw USM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Omar Osman receiving the machines worth RM300,000 from the foundation's social corporate responsibility director Datuk Dr Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman.
Shamsul Anwar said the donation was meant to ease the suffering of dialysis patients from flood hit areas, which had been transferred to HUSM.
He said the foundation decided to give the machines after learning that the number of dialysis patients at HUSM shot up to 200 since the flood struck.