This Monday, the Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation (IPST) acknowledged the difficulties in meeting hospitals’ needs for blood components, which has “created limitations” in operations at the Santa Maria Local Health Unit (ULS).
“Despite all the efforts of hundreds of professionals in different fields and the blood donation campaign ‘O Amigo Secreto’, it was not possible to meet the needs for all blood components for the operations, which created surgical limitations at ULS Santa Maria,” IPST said in a statement.
The institute also assured that it is monitoring the situation at ULS Santa Maria, in Lisbon, as well as in the rest of the country, adding that the blood groups most affected are “A positive”, “O positive” and “B negative”.
According to IPST, holiday periods and movement of people outside their area of residence traditionally make it difficult to maintain stocks at comfortable levels at this time of year.
“However, this year instability in this period began to arise earlier, with an atypical and unprecedented situation of an increase in cases of infectious respiratory diseases and Covid-19,” the institute confirmed, assuring that in connection with this, the request to donors and potential donors for new blood donations has been strengthened.
The organisation, which continuously monitors blood supplies nationally, also added that the scheduling of blood collection sessions takes into account the restrictions of this time of year, with collections taking place in summer locations.
To meet the needs of patients, Portuguese hospitals require about 1,100 units of blood per day.
IPST, which accounts for about 60% of blood collection in Portugal, with the remaining 40% collected by hospital services, confirmed that blood donation has no contraindications for healthy adults.
To become a blood donor, you must be over 18 years old, weigh 50 kilograms or more, and be healthy, the institute reminded, emphasizing that donating blood takes about 30 minutes and can help save up to three lives.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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