The Tonga Red Cross Society (TRCS) is urging for regular blood donors as it marks World Blood Donor Day under the theme of hope and unity.
The Tonga Red Cross commemorated World Blood Donor Day yesterday, ahead of the official June 14 observance, with a public appeal for more regular, voluntary blood donations.
“Every drop counts,” said Secretary-General Sione Taumoefolau, as he stressed the importance of building a stable blood supply beyond emergency situations.
“Most of the people here in Tonga, they only come and contribute their blood if they are relatives or cousins who are in the hospital,” he said. “So, we try to look at how we make this one as an organic source for anyone who would like to contribute to any life we are saving in the future.”
A key challenge is Tonga’s limited blood storage. The national blood bank can hold only 50 donor bags—barely enough for a month.
The Red Cross, working with the Ministry of Health, handles logistics while hospital technicians conduct screenings.
“In the future, we would like to have a data sector here in the Red Cross and also in New South Wales,” Taumoefolau said.
More local outreach and infrastructure upgrades are expected as part of the Red Cross’s ongoing efforts.
