Taiwan Blood Services Foundation regional centers added O-negative refrigerator slots Saturday after Taipei and Taichung hospitals reported matching inventories below three days of cover for scheduled surgeries, according to foundation shift logs. Long-weekend traffic clinics expect more trauma cases even as elective procedures resume post-holiday.
O-negative can be transfused in emergencies before full typing finishes, making it the first unit trauma bays request. Foundation spokespeople asked repeat donors with O or Rh-negative types to book appointments online rather than walk in, smoothing nurse staffing on a Saturday collection day.
Hospitals agreed to postpone non-urgent orthopedic cases if inventories dip under two days; emergency cesarean and cardiac cases retain priority. Mobile donation buses will station at Sun Moon Lake marathon finish lines Sunday to capture willing donors cooled down from the race.
Officials said the push is precautionary, not a crisis alert. Donors should eat iron-rich meals and hydrate before appointments; the foundation’s app shows real-time wait estimates by center.