Health UKSH faces decline in blood donations
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The willingness to donate blood is steadily decreasing at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein. Most of the time the supply is still covered, but things can also become critical.
The University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) complains about a declining willingness to donate blood. The demographic change and the associated retirement of the baby boomer generation, who are increasingly becoming blood recipients themselves, is a big issue, said a spokeswoman for the UKSH Institute for Transfusion Medicine. There has been a steady decline in the number of blood donations over the past ten years.
In total, the university clinic needs around 1,000 blood donations per week to care for the patients. The acute supply of blood reserves is still secured, so that no operations have to be postponed. However, according to the information provided by the UKSH, stocks sometimes reach critical levels during “weaker” times, such as during the holiday season or during cold waves.
A continuous willingness to donate is required, especially for blood components that only have a very limited shelf life.
University solicits donations
It was said that the majority of the clinic’s needs could currently be covered in the donation centers of the University Hospital in Lübeck and Kiel. If one’s own blood supplies were not sufficient, supplies from the German Red Cross would be used. But if there are supply bottlenecks there, the UKSH is also affected.
According to the spokeswoman, in order to increase the number of blood donations, more advertising measures or collaboration with local universities are being used. Not only would flyers and posters be handed out in the university canteens, but the welcome events for first-year students would also be used. There is also a cooperation with the Wacken Festival.
dpa
