12MP review: Blood centre greatly needed in Sabah, says ex-Health chief

KOTA KINABALU: The state of Sabah is in great need of the regional blood centre, which will be established under the 12th Malaysia Plan mid-term review. Former state Health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi emphasized the importance of blood products, not only for emergency and surgical procedures but also for transfusions for thalassaemia patients. She mentioned that Sabah has the highest number of thalassaemia patients in the country, and last year alone, the state recorded 1,793 new cases out of 8,000 detected nationwide. Dr Rundi expressed her hope that the long-proposed project will come to fruition soon.