Outcry over Negative Blood Shortage, Volunteers Flock to Hospitals

Following the Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crash in Uttara, critically injured and severely burnt victims are currently being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. To meet the urgent need for blood, hundreds of volunteers have turned up at the hospitals. However, there is now a critical shortage of negative blood types, triggering growing concern among medical teams and volunteers.

Current Blood Donation Status

Volunteer Activity on Hospital Premises

On Monday, 21 July, volunteers could be seen around hospital premises using loudspeakers to appeal specifically for negative blood group donors. Temporary booths were also set up where on-the-spot blood grouping tests were being conducted to identify potential donors.

One volunteer, Nurunnabi, stated:

“We currently have a sufficient supply of positive blood types, but the need for negative blood is desperate. Many of the burn victims are losing blood rapidly and can’t survive without immediate transfusions of compatible negative-type blood. We’ve managed to collect only a limited quantity so far, and more is urgently required.”

Broader Outreach and Communication Efforts

Other volunteers explained that while the number of walk-in blood donors is lower than needed, efforts are underway to mobilise people through social media, phone calls, and personal networks. These methods are being used to locate and encourage individuals with rare blood types to come forward.

Call to Action

Due to the grave condition of many injured, every single bag of blood is proving to be life-saving. The medical situation remains tense and time-sensitive, prompting an urgent and heartfelt plea to individuals with negative blood types to contribute consciously and promptly.

In this moment of national crisis, each drop of blood can save a life