DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

As anyone who needs a blood transfusion in an emergency will quickly learn, there is a blood shortage in the Dominican Republic because donating blood is not yet part of the culture.

In the DR, as in other countries, the availability of blood for treatments requiring transfusions is a crucial component of the healthcare system. Certain blood types are particularly scarce and difficult to obtain, posing a significant challenge for patients in need of emergency care and vital medical treatments, Listin Diario reports.

The country faces shortages, especially with Rh-negative blood types such as O- and A-, which can often become scarce and hard to find, doctors Sócrates Sosa and Pedro Sing told Listin Diario.

Approximately 85% of the population is Rh-positive, leaving only about 15% Rh-negative.

“The distribution of blood types within a population depends largely on its...