FOR the first time in 14 years, the organisers of the NTU Blood Challenge surpassed their target of collecting a thousand units of blood, a surprising turnaround considering the disappointing response from students and staff on the first day.

The blood-donation drive, held from January 15th to 18th, collected less than 70 percent of the 250 units of blood expected on the opening day.

“The first day’s collection, compared to the second and third day, wasn’t very good, perhaps because there was not enough publicity,” said Mei Mei, 22, President of the NTU Red Cross Chapter, which organised the Challenge. “Also, because the drive is usually held in February, many students did not realize we were having the blood challenge in the second week of school,” she said.

The first day’s collection fell short of the daily demand for blood in Singapore, which numbers at 350 units, or bags, of blood.

“As of January 17th, the blood bank had only 1,300 bags of blood in its reserves, adequate for only five days, barring any major medical emergency or national crisis,” said Mr Derrick Toh, manager of the Red Cross Blood Donation Recruitment Programme. The blood bank at the Health Sciences Authority had been depending on NTU to top up its reserves.

Concerned by the lacklustre participation rate on the first day, the NTU Red Cross chapter sent a mass email to the university population, made pleas through ChannelNTU, hall to hall flyers, and Edventure, and dispatched their mascot, the Blood Buddy, to lecture theatres to appeal for donors.

Responding to the call, many students and staff came forward, boosting the daily unit count to about 260 for the second and third day of the drive. 

 The surge in donors came as a pleasant surprise to Chua Chun Liang, 23, a second-year student in the School of Biological Sciences.

He said: “I think it shows that Singaporeans do have kind hearts.”

“I’m glad that they were able to hit the target, and it reaffirms that the NTU students and staff have a willing spirit to donate blood to those who need it,” said Ong Hui Fang, 23, fourth-year Chemical Engineering student and third- time donor.

On breaking the record of collecting the most units of blood for the NTU Blood Challenge, Mei said: “While I’m really thrilled at the outcome of this blood drive, it is the support of the nurses and the spirit of giving of the students and staff that has helped us hit the target.”