The Tyrolean blood donation service sounds the alarm. A sharp drop in willingness to donate is worrying the team. “If the situation remains this tense, it will be even more difficult than before to get through the summer months,” emphasizes Manfred Gaber, head of the blood donation service in Tyrol.
“We urgently need blood donors,” Gaber sums up briefly. Normally we have about 1,000 cans of all blood types in the warehouse every day, but we can’t do that at the moment. As far as the stock is concerned, we are at the lower limit.” Blood consumption, on the other hand, is constant: 100 blood units per day.
Operations do not have to be canceled due to a lack of blood supply. “But as soon as something bigger happens, such as a liver transplant, things can get tight. Such an operation sometimes requires up to 50 units of blood per patient – in exceptional cases even up to 200 units of blood per patient. Fortunately, that happens very rarely.” , says Gabriel.
“Normally bottlenecks only occur in the summer”
He is surprised that he and his team are already struggling with this declining willingness to donate: “Because these kinds of bottlenecks usually only occur in July and August, i.e. during the holiday and holiday periods.” This worries him and his entire team: “If the situation remains this tense, it will be even more difficult than before to get through the summer months.”
But why is the number of Tyrolean blood donors so stagnant at the moment? “The reasons for this are probably many. Temperatures have been quite high since May and heat tends to deter people from donating blood. In addition, the relaxation related to Corona probably plays a role. Many are trying to catch up on what they have not been able to experience in recent years. Some are already going on holiday abroad or going to concerts. Donating blood is a backseat,” Gaber analyzes.
It is curious that in normal cases a large number of Tyroleans donate their blood during a major crisis. “But now with the war in Ukraine not happening at all, we don’t see a recovery.”
Blood group 0 negative is the most popular
By the way: The blood group that is most needed is 0 negative. “The blood from these donors is compatible with all emergency recipients, they are universal donors,” explains Gaber. Donors with 0 negative know that they are valuable, are sensitized and regularly donate their blood. “Of course we need all blood types, so every donor is important to us,” emphasizes Gaber.
An advantage for many: Since Wednesday, wearing a mouth and nose protector during blood donation campaigns is no longer mandatory.
All blood donation dates in Tyrol and details can be found here: www.gibdeinbestes.at and on the homepage www.blut.at
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
