“A gesture of solidaritythis is how Michel qualifies the gesture he has just made for the 140and time: a blood donation. “It’s important in our time.”Adds.
The Red Cross launches an urgent appeal for donations. In this period the stocks are almost empty. The NGO collected 2,600 bags of blood in Wallonia last week, while hoping to get another 500.
“We have many patients.”, regrets Donatienne Poncelet, the doctor in charge of the sampling site in Namur. “People are on leave and on holidays, there are fewer organized collections as there are no collections in schools or businesses. These are difficulties that we always encounter on vacation”.
Currently, three blood types are in short supply: A-, O- and B-.
How can I donate my blood?
You can go to the collection (without an appointment except for exceptions) or at a fixed sampling site (On appointment). You will first be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire. Subsequently, you will be received for a confidential (free) medical interview to assess whether the donation poses no risk to you or to the recipient, depending on:
- your current state of health;
- your medical and surgical history;
- medicines you are taking or have taken;
- trips you have made;
- possible risky behavior.
