The situation is reportedly worse than during the state of emergency; while the number of operations has returned to normal levels, the number of blood donors has not. Photo credit: Freepik / For illustrative purposes.
Brno, Aug 6 (BD) – St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno is experiencing a critical shortage of blood, and has issued an urgent appeal for donations.
The hospital needs blood of all groups. “The situation is even worse than during the state of emergency. The lack of donors then was compensated by reduced demand for blood due to the suspension of planned operations and interventions,” said hospital spokeswoman Dana Lipovská.
According to the head of the blood bank, Jarmila Celerová, operations have returned to normal levels, but the number of donors has not. “The holiday season has had an effect, as some of the donors are on vacation, and those who have returned from trips abroad can only donate blood a month after their return. The large occurrence of ticks is also playing a role, as a monthly deferral also applies in the case of a tick,” said Celerová.
The hospital is therefore looking for new donors. “I would like to thank everyone who came to donate blood even during the pandemic,” said hospital Director Vlastimil Vajdák. “And I would like to ask the inhabitants of Brno and its surroundings again to come and donate blood. It’s the only fluid we can’t make artificially. Every individual donor is important. On top of them, we never know when we will ourselves need blood,” said Vajdák, who is himself a blood donor.
Blood from donors covers about 20% of the amount needed by the hospital, which buys the remaining 80%, Vajdák told reporters. St. Anne’s started accepting blood donations last autumn; it previously purchased all the blood it used. So far, according to Vajdák, this move has saved the hospital CZK 3 million, but the purchase of blood still costs about CZK 13 million a year.
The hospital’s collection center has been operating since October 14th last year. It opened 70 years after the establishment of the first transfusion department in Brno, also in St. Anne’s. From October to mid-July, the center registered over 1,500 blood donors. Blood donation takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:15am to 9:45am, and you can make an appointment by phone on 543 182 190.