“Taking into account the particularity of the calendar which, this year, favors longer duration bridges in May, the objective is to mobilize the citizens massively from now on” underlines the French Blood Establishment (EFS) which is launching an emergency appeal blood donations. “
10,000 donations are needed every day to care for patients. And during the May bridges, reserves may become too low to meet the needs of hospitals. In Marseille, for example, as Provence explains it, it would take 500 blood donations per day to be able to be self-sufficient while the collections bring only 350.
4 weeks to replenish the reserves
This is why the EFS is sounding the alarm by inviting donors, but also those who donate blood for the first time, to go to a collection point (mapping of collections is available on their site) in the next few days. Especially since this winter, the extreme cold and the flu epidemic have reduced the number of donors.
“To maintain the reserves of blood products at a satisfactory level, blood donations must be constant because the lifespan is 5 days for platelets and 42 days for red blood cells”, recalls the French Blood Establishment.
To address the sensitive period of May and meet the needs of patients, the EFS is counting on donors to have 100,000 bags of blood products in reserve while the level is currently only 75,000 bags.
You have 4 weeks left to help replenish those reserves!
Our blood supply is dwindling. As the May holidays and bridges approach, the EFS is launching an urgent appeal for donation. Come donate blood now! To know where to donate: https://t.co/aqdsnwNvv0pic.twitter.com/wOtf2dpl6E
– EFS (@EFS_Officiel) April 3, 2018
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Infographic: the conditions to be able to donate blood
