News Forum - Blood supplies low during pandemic, LGBTQ activists call to be allowed to donate

[Thaiger]

Blood supplies in Thailand have reportedly run critically low over the recent months as many donation centres have suspended operations due to the Covid-19 situation. With calls from the Thai Red Cross society for blood donations, LGBTQ activists are urging the Red Cross to change their criteria to allow those in the gay and transgender communities to donate, especially now to help with the shortages. The chairperson for the Bangkok Rainbow Organisation and the HIV Foundation Asia told the Bangkok Post that protests and petitions from LGBTQ activists over the blood donation issue have been unsuccessful. He says gay men […]

The post Blood supplies low during pandemic, LGBTQ activists call to be allowed to donate appeared first on Thaiger News.

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[TonyH]

I gave blood 3 or 4 times a year in UK. I tried to give blood in Thailand but told I was too old ( a fit 66 year old).   Very strange when they need blood

[Bob20]

I've had 7 (yes, 7) SMS messages from the Red Cross that it's time for my next blood donation. Unfortunately, I received the messages starting from the time I got my vaccine shots and can't yet donate.

As the TRC were assigned vaccine doses, they should start a campaign that you can have a vaccine shot immediately after your blood donation.

So many are waiting for a vaccine, that it would benefit both parties.

(yes, you can have the vaccine after blood donation, you just can't donate quickly after receiving the vaccine)

[AlexPTY]

I've got AB Rh negative, we actually registered at ministry oh health in Canada for this type. In Thailand, i would not think of giving blood after first time i did. Wasn't a cleanest place i would imagine and staff was less than friendly. So, no, thank you... LGBTQ donations, sure, why not, but i can see the reason to be hesitant to take blood from this social group

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, AlexPTY said:

LGBTQ donations, sure, why not, but i can see the reason to be hesitant to take blood from this social group

So what is the reason?

[Soidog]

2 hours ago, Bob20 said:

I've had 7 (yes, 7) SMS messages from the Red Cross that it's time for my next blood donation. Unfortunately, I received the messages starting from the time I got my vaccine shots and can't yet donate.

As the TRC were assigned vaccine doses, they should start a campaign that you can have a vaccine shot immediately after your blood donation.

So many are waiting for a vaccine, that it would benefit both parties.

(yes, you can have the vaccine after blood donation, you just can't donate quickly after receiving the vaccine)

Great idea @Bob20. Why don’t you run for local MP? Can’t see any obstacles in your way for that …

[Bob20]

10 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Great idea @Bob20. Why don’t you run for local MP? Can’t see any obstacles in your way for that …

I can think of a few... Hope we don't get a complete list

Even charity is seen as work. Makes me wonder if blood donation is even technically allowed

[Soidog]

10 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

I can think of a few... Hope we don't get a complete list

Even charity is seen as work. Makes me wonder if blood donation is even technically allowed

Yes that’s true. It does take effort to give blood and hence technically it’s work. Time to travel there and back for example. Do you get a free cup of tea and a biscuit when you donate blood in Thailand? I guess it would only be free for the Thais and as a foreigner trying to muscle in on the act, you would be charged 100 baht? 

[Bob20]

No tea, but a whole bag of goodies, water orange juice snacks vitamin tablets and a TRC pin

[Soidog]

4 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

No tea, but a whole bag of goodies, water orange juice snacks vitamin tablets and a TRC pin

Good to hear that @Bob20  maybe I’ll try that next time I’m there. Can I donate on a tourist visa or do I need a letter from the police, my own embassy, a copy of my TM6 and passport, all of which are signed and dated? Is there a process I need to follow? If so, is it an online process? I’d like to help you see

[Bob20]

2 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Good to hear that @Bob20  maybe I’ll try that next time I’m there. Can I donate on a tourist visa or do I need a letter from the police, my own embassy, a copy of my TM6 and passport, all of which are signed and dated? Is there a process I need to follow? If so, is it an online process? I’d like to help you see

No, it's remarkably simple. Just walk in with your passport and they ask you to complete a questionnaire, then register you from your passport.

Just one strange thing, they took only one bag from the Thai guy nextdoor, but five from me. Felt a bit weak after...

[MrStretch]

1 hour ago, AlexPTY said:

In Thailand, i would not think of giving blood after first time i did. Wasn't a cleanest place i would imagine and staff was less than friendly.

If that were the case I'd donate at a hospital. Nice and clean.

In the past the Red Cross would come to the school where I had a training program, and literally hundreds of secondary students would donate.  I donated every time, having a long history of doing so back home.

These days, I don't think they'd let me donate; blood thinners, cardiovascular meds, etc.  Still, I'll ask when I'm at the hospital next week for a minor procedure.

If you can, donate.  It takes only a few minutes of your time...and can mean life for someone else.

[Smithydog]

5 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

Just one strange thing, they took only one bag from the Thai guy nextdoor, but five from me. Felt a bit weak after...

All good Bob20. Just another Dual Pricing.... ha ha

[Soidog]

9 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

No, it's remarkably simple. Just walk in with your passport and they ask you to complete a questionnaire, then register you from your passport.

Just one strange thing, they took only one bag from the Thai guy nextdoor, but five from me. Felt a bit weak after...

we’re you 5 times bigger than him. Body mass I mean

[Bob20]

6 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

All good Bob20. Just another Dual Pricing.... ha ha

I was thinking of going to Court, but it's not discrimination as it benefits Thailand

[Rip255]

1 hour ago, Stonker said:

So what is the reason?

AIDS

[Bob20]

5 minutes ago, Soidog said:

we’re you 5 times bigger than him. Body mass I mean

Haha, no, healthy and not obese, but bloodvolume isn't directly related to body mass

[Smithydog]

Personally, I admire those who donate blood. Sadly, every time I try I get knocked back. Medical condition disqualifying thing.

And yes I have had all the jokes about being bloodless, ice water in veins etc...

So, well done to those that do.

[Soidog]

3 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

Haha, no, healthy and not obese, but bloodvolume isn't directly related to body mass

I wasn’t for one minutes suggesting otherwise mate. I always assumed you were 6’4” with a body like an athlete. But these Thai fellas can be small. And again I mean in terms of body

[Bob20]

2 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I wasn’t for one minutes suggesting otherwise mate. I always assumed you were 6’4” with a body like an athlete. But these Thai fellas can be small. And again I mean in terms of body

Great imagination. You should be writing books

[MrStretch]

37 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

Personally, I admire those who donate blood. Sadly, every time I try I get knocked back.

 A moderately quick aside, but on the blood donation topic.

I started my radio career in a tiny town of 2,500 people with a tiny radio station that might have reached 7,000 if everyone in the county listened at the same time.  I moved up "the ladder" for several years from my beginnings working in every larger markets, but had a situation that brought me home for several months, without the ability to walk.

While doing my rehab, I started working at the same station but with new, "progressive" owners.  I was doing the morning drive show from 0600-1000, which is the "anchor" of any station.  

The county blood mobile was in it's first day and my mother was the the volunteer director that year.  The blood mobile opened at 0700...it was a farming community and you wanted to get people early in the day.

My mother called me at 0845 and said, "Would you please do some announcements...we aren't going to make anything close to our goal."

So, I started pumping the event nearly every time I opened my microphone.  I connected the blood drive with romantic songs, took dedications from listeners who promised to donate, etc.

An hour later, my mother called again. "Shut up! Stop it!  We have so many people in line that we can't handle them all."

The annual blood drive exceeded their expected quote by 180%...

I love doing good things.

Please give blood if you can.  If you don't know how or where, contact the local hospital in your area.  They will be happy to explain and answer your questions.

It's easy.  It doesn't hurt.  You can't catch any disease by donating blood.

34 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I always assumed you were 6’4” with a body like an athlete.

I am 6'5", but the athlete body went a few years ago.  No idea about my fellow baseball fan, Bob20

 

[Stonker]

53 minutes ago, Rip255 said:

AIDS

AIDS? Not HIV? Odd ...

So only LGBTQ get AIDS? Really?

[ExpatPattaya]

I had to stop donating blood in the US because one of the questions was Have you been with a prostitute? 

This was in the 90's 

Always covered up with a condom, had had regular health checks with blood test for HIV and other STD's, but could not donate blood.

Unfortunate as I regularly donated for maybe 15 years

[Bob20]

19 minutes ago, MrStretch said:

 A moderately quick aside, but on the blood donation topic.

I started my radio career in a tiny town of 2,500 people with a tiny radio station that might have reached 7,000 if everyone in the county listened at the same time.  I moved up "the ladder" for several years from my beginnings working in every larger markets, but had a situation that brought me home for several months, without the ability to walk.

While doing my rehab, I started working at the same station but with new, "progressive" owners.  I was doing the morning drive show from 0600-1000, which is the "anchor" of any station.  

The county blood mobile was in it's first day and my mother was the the volunteer director that year.  The blood mobile opened at 0700...it was a farming community and you wanted to get people early in the day.

My mother called me at 0845 and said, "Would you please do some announcements...we aren't going to make anything close to our goal."

So, I started pumping the event nearly every time I opened my microphone.  I connected the blood drive with romantic songs, took dedications from listeners who promised to donate, etc.

An hour later, my mother called again. "Shut up! Stop it!  We have so many people in line that we can't handle them all."

The annual blood drive exceeded their expected quote by 180%...

I love doing good things.

Please give blood if you can.  If you don't know how or where, contact the local hospital in your area.  They will be happy to explain and answer your questions.

It's easy.  It doesn't hurt.  You can't catch any disease by donating blood.

I am 6'5", but the athlete body went a few years ago.  No idea about my fellow baseball fan, Bob20

Currently 7'6" (incl. the chair to change a lightbulb)

[Changnam43]

2 hours ago, Bob20 said:

I can think of a few... Hope we don't get a complete list

Even charity is seen as work. Makes me wonder if blood donation is even technically allowed

Well, it is you that is pumping the blood out.  I am pretty sure an over zealous immigration officer could view that as work :-)