Indonesia Lack of 1 Million Pouches of Blood Yearly

Indonesia has a shortage of about one million pouches of blood every year, Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) chairman Jusuf Kalla said here on Saturday.

"At present Indonesia is in need of around 4,5 million pouches of blood while last year we had only 3.5 million pouches. This means we are short of one million more pouches," said the former vice president.

Speaking at a function to install Insp Gen Adang Rochjana to replace Karna Swanda as West Java’s PMI chairman, Kalla said that following an increase in Indonesia’s population growth, demand for blood in 2014 is predicted to rise to 5 million pouches per year.

Therefore, he expressed hope that PMI organization would continue to grow in every region in order to meet the national blood demand. Kalla asserted that PMI had three main duties to run, namely to promote blood donor, to face natural disaster, and to do its social task.

"I am optimistic that if these three duties are carried out well, PMI organization will grow even bigger to meet the national blood demand in the years to come because it is of great reward," Kalla said.

In addition, he expressed hope that PMI’s social service to the people could be stepped up even more. Meanwhile, West Java Vice Governor Dede Yusuf said the existence of Indonesian Red Cross was greatly needed in critical moment when natural disaster struck. Dede called on the people in West Java to donate their blood willingly to meet the blood demand at both regional and national levels.