KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia's blood supply leans heavily on a small core of dedicated repeat donors, and Malay Mail visited the National Blood Centre (Pusat Darah Negara, PDN) in Kuala Lumpur to meet some of them. Among them was former soldier turned air-conditioning technician Indra Sahrin, 47, who was midway through his 367th donation — an apheresis session booked by appointment.
The people behind the supply
Indra began donating in 2009 during his army days and has never stopped. "I know how crucial it is," he said, noting that many people only think about giving blood when someone close to them needs it. Donors like him quietly keep hospital shelves stocked for surgery, trauma, cancer care and chronic conditions.
A supply under strain
- Malaysia recorded 113,786 new blood donors in 2024, the second-lowest tally since 96,702 in 2021.
- Apheresis — which separates out specific components such as plasma, platelets or red cells and returns the rest to the donor — made up about 1.5% of donations, with whole blood the remaining 98.5%.
- Authorities continue to appeal for younger, regular voluntary donors to broaden the base.
Behind every transfusion is a comfortable, well-run donation experience. For suppliers of donor seating and apheresis-ready chairs, sustaining and growing the donor pool depends in part on making each session as easy and reassuring as possible.
