At the Pentecost weekend, the German Red Cross (DRK) once again drew the attention of Berliners to the urgency of donating blood.
© dpa
At the moment, the available blood supplies are only enough for just under two days – but five days in advance would be ideal, said the DRK blood donation service north-east at the request of the German Press Agency. In order to be able to ensure uninterrupted care for patients in the summer months, more blood donations are urgently needed.
Public holidays have a negative impact on blood donation volumes
The north-east blood donation service, which is responsible for the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, sees several reasons for the acutely endangered security of supply. The demand from the clinics remains very high, since in addition to the return to normal operations, postponed treatments are also being made up for. A number of public holidays and the fact that people are on the move again also had an impact on the blood donation volume.
600 blood donations per day required in Berlin and Brandenburg
In addition, due to the corona infection, those willing to donate could sometimes temporarily not donate. The situation is made even more difficult by the fact that the blood preparations obtained only have a short shelf life of a few days to five weeks. According to the blood donation service, around 600 blood donations are required every working day in Berlin and Brandenburg alone in order to ensure a seamless supply. The experts referred to a large number of regular blood donation dates and also special dates in Berlin on Whit Monday. In principle, any healthy person over the age of 18 with a minimum weight of 50 kilos can donate.
“Donating blood saves lives”
The Berlin Medical Association also recently supported the DRK appeal and called on Berliners to donate blood. According to a statement, the current volume of blood donations in the capital is up to 30 percent below the normal value – up to three seriously ill or injured people can be helped with a blood donation. “Donating blood saves lives,” said Medical Association President Peter Bobbert. Anyone who is allowed and able to donate blood should do so.
Author: dpa
Release date: June 5, 2022
Last updated: June 5, 2022