Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The Kingdom's strategic blood supply is now back to normal after a 40-percent in the past period in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, according to acting director of the Health Ministry's blood bank, Asia Adwan.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra) on the occasion of the World Blood Donor Day, which falls today (June 14th), Adwan said the national blood inventories plunged 40 percent amidst the pandemic crisis and the ensuing lockdowns.

She indicated that intensive public campaigns, launched to urge people to donate blood, have paid off and helped bring the national supply back to normal levels. Adwan added that the Ministry of Health-run blood bank, and despite the drop, has never failed to supply hospitals with their needs of blood and its derivatives.

Furthermore, Adwan noted that blood plasma was collected from those who have recovered from the coronavirus for use in potential treatment in the future. She explained that the collection of blood plasma was carried out under strict medical protocols and only after the lab-validated recovery of the patient.

Adwan also revealed that a total of 369,992 people donated blood in the Kingdom in 2019 at both government- and army-run blood banks.