WHO ‘very concerned’ as Chinese cities face blood, medicine shortages

Hindustan times, 22 Dec, 2022- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it is “very concerned” about the Covid-19 situation in China as the viral outbreak spreads unchecked through the country amid continuing shortages of fever medicines and the fear of coming waves of infection in the days and weeks ahead.

Many local governments in China have dipped into their medicine reserves, besides cranking up production at manufacturing units, to meet panic-fuelled demand and have begun to distribute free drugs, even dispensing loose medicines among the public, a rarity in China.

Shortage of blood has been reported from across the country, according to a state media report, with the local authorities urging people to donate more blood.

The shortage of blood, reported from “multiple regions from the north to the south across China” has been caused by many factors including “epidemic impact”, the state-run tabloid, Global Times reported on Thursday.

In the southern city of Guangzhou, for example, about 1,200 blood donors are needed each day to meet the demand for clinical blood use, the GT report said, adding that due to the recent rising Covid-19 infected cases as well as cold weather, blood inventory has fallen to critically low levels.