Blood banks across the globe are facing a shortage crisis amidst the surge in the Covid-19 pandemic. Every second of every day, people worldwide—of all ages and from all walks of life—need blood transfusions to survive.

The main reasons cited by donors for not donating include safety concerns during the pandemic, especially of virulent and contagious strains of the virus, lockdown measures that limited movement, donors who had contracted Covid-19, and the potential risk of infections from cross-contamination.

According to the World Health Organisation, 62 countries report collecting fewer than ten blood donations per 1,000 people. This is equivalent to 6.8 donations per 1,000 people from lower-middle-income countries, including Malaysia.

The Malaysian employees of the QI Group have organised annual blood donation drives for several years to help the National Blood Bank replenish their supplies which are used to treat emergency cases, cancer patients, chronic and critical diseases, and many others.

The Staff Social Responsibility (SSR) Committee of the Malaysian office teamed up with the Group’s social impact initiative RYTHM Foundation to organise a two-day blood donation drive at a mall located in Selangor, Malaysia. More than 200 people including many employees of the company showed up to check their eligibility to donate. At the end of two days, 158 people successfully donated blood.

Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, we are proud of our employees and their commitment to supporting their community.