China's capital, Beijing, recently announced there is a severe blood supply shortage.
Ma Guodong, deputy director of the city's blood center, says one reason for the shortage is that few people visit the blood donation bus on the streets as chilly winter weather comes.
 “There are two periods each year when we often suffer blood shortages. One is in July and August when it is very hot in Beijing; the other is from December to February next year, when it is very cold. In both seasons, many people would not go to street.”
China eliminated compulsory blood donation as more volunteers appeared and, more importantly, to ensure the safety of blood sources.
At the moment, the only way to collect blood is through blood donation buses on the streets. The donors are mainly pedestrians passing by.
Ma Guodong says this means blood collection can be affected by weather.
He says the situation even worsens, as the demand for blood increase in hospitals in the capital.
“As the day gets cold, it's good time to conduct operation. So the demand for blood doesn't decline but rise. As a result, there has been a big gap between demand and supply.”
Meanwhile, another major city, Shanghai has also experienced a shortage of Type A and O blood in its blood bank.
With the help of local volunteers in the past days, the inventory has increased, but doctors say more donations are needed before they reach a safe level.
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Director: Liu Chi