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Blood Donations in Indonesia: Rhesus Negative Blood

Sourcing rare blood types in Indonesia

The supply of blood to hospitals in Jakarta, and throughout most of Indonesia, is organized by the Indonesian Red Cross (IRC, Palang Merah Indonesia or PMI).

If you are thinking of getting blood from PMI or anywhere, please ensure that a "Blood Test Confirmation" has been performed on the blood to test for infectious diseases such as hepatitis, STDs and HIV. Even though you'll be charged for this additional testing, it's well worth it!

If you would prefer, it's possible to make an appeal to friends of the same blood type and use their blood donated specifically for your use. If you are still having problems finding hard-to-find blood types in Indonesia, post your need on the , and members of the community will most likely respond!

It is important to know the blood types of all family members, prior to an emergency. Even if both parents are rhesus-positive, their children could be rhesus-negative due to recessive genes. Information on all your family members' blood types and the possible need for rhesus-negative blood is important in case of any emergency during your stay in Indonesia.

Screening of blood donations by the Indonesian Red Cross

In 2011, the IRC announced it would increase the safety of its blood supply by expanding its use of highly-sensitive NAT testing for HIV and hepatitis at 15 new centralized blood testing laboratories. Novartis Diagnostics was selected as the private partner in this important public health project. The IRC will use fully integrated and automated Procleix Tigris systems and the Procleix Ultrio Assay, which screens for HIV-1 and hepatitis B & C in a single assay. For reference, 100% of the United States's blood supply is screened with NAT technologies, and Novartis Diagnostics' products are used to screen 80% of the U.S. blood supply.

Note that not all blood in the Indonesian blood supply may be screened using these techniques until the practice has spread through to all centers. So make sure ask if the blood you are receiving has been screened by this system.

Expatriate Emergency Blood Donor Committee - Rhesus Negative Blood

Overall blood supplies are limited, but most importantly for expats there are few to no stockpiles of rhesus-negative blood. The Rh-negative blood type is rare among Indonesians, but almost 15% of Caucasians have this blood type.

Information about Rh Negative donors is vital, and the Expatriate Emergency Blood Donor Committee was formed at the request of the IRC for this purpose. If registered, your chance of being called as a donor is small but those with rhesus-negative blood are highly encouraged to register their presence in Indonesia.

If you have the Rh-negative blood type, please considered registering to be a standby donor through:

Emergency Blood Donor Committee
Indonesian Red Cross 
Jl Kramat Raya 47
Tel. (62-21) 390 6666 ext 317 / 31906180
Fax  (62-21) 310-1107

Rhesus Negative Division Contact Person:
Nurse Ninit Dewi Rahayu
Tel. (021) 32816551 (business-office hour)
Hp 0817858720 (private-after office hour)

Palang Merah Indonesia website - www.pmi.or.id

Volunteer Expatriate Emergency  Volunteers 

We have LOST CONTACT with this group. If you have new information, please let us know.

Due to the departure of our most recent coordinator, this hotline is currently in need of a volunteer to run it. If you are interested, please contact the PMI above.

Donating blood through a blood donation drive

Blood drives are held by the IRC to ensure the nation's blood supply. To ensure the safety of donated blood, as a potential blood donor you must:

  • Be 17-60 years old
  • Weigh at least 45 kg
  • Have a blood pressure of 100-180 (sistolic) and 60-100 (diastolic)
  • Sign an application form and pass a series of tests including weight, HB, blood type, and a physical
  • Not be an alcoholic or have hepatitis, diabetes, epilepsy, AIDS risk factors, a fever or the flu at the time of donation.
  • Not have had a tooth extracted in the last three days, a blood transfusion, a tattoo or acupuncture in the last year, or be pregnant or nursing an infant

If you pass these tests, you will be eligible to donate blood.

Donating Blood in Bali

Blood donations in Bali are organized through the Red Cross Blood Bank at the Sanglah General Hospital in Denpasar.

O negative blood is especially needed, as this blood type is found in 1% of Asians and 8% of Caucasians. Please take the time to donate while visiting Bali, as you could make a big difference to a Bali resident or a visitor to the island!

Unit Tranfusi Darah Pembina PMI Daerah Bali
IRC Blood Transfusion Unit for Bali
Sanglah General Hospital (RSUP Sanglah)
Jalan Kesehatan, Denpasar, Bali
Telephone +62-0361 227-224

If you have medical-related questions about living in Indonesia to ask of medical professionals, see Ask the Experts.

We trust this information will assist you in making correct choices regarding your health and welfare. However, it is not intended to be a substitute for personalized advice from your medical adviser.

Updated Novmeber 24, 2023