Berlin-In Berlin and throughout Germany, blood supplies are running low. There are currently shortages of blood types A minus, 0 minus and 0 plus, for the latter two the Blood donation service of the German Red Cross Northeast (DRK) the situation as threatening.
According to the German Red Cross (DRK), 15,000 blood donations are needed every day across the country. “High competition from leisure activities means that the required donations are not being received in many places,” said the federal spokesman for the DRK blood donation services, Patric Nohe. “The DRK blood donation services therefore had to resort to their reserves, which have now largely been used up.”
Even if blood is “really scarce”: “We do not have a nationwide emergency with blood products,” Nohe explains. “Anyone who gets into trouble now and ends up in hospital will still get a blood unit.” The DRK blood donation services say they cover around 75 percent of blood donations nationwide.
Planned operations sometimes have to be postponed
According to Nohe, the reason for the current blood shortage is the recent public holidays, the European Football Championship and the holiday season. During this time, the willingness to donate is low. “In addition, it was hardly possible to create buffer reserves due to the short shelf life.” The blood that is currently being donated is used immediately. “Everything that comes in goes out again straight away.”
The situation is particularly critical in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Lower Saxony. “In some cases, planned operations have already had to be postponed,” said Nohe. But nationwide, too, there is “clearly room for improvement.” “It is now crucial that we make full use of all the appointments offered in the coming weeks in order to maintain the supply of vital blood products.”
Just two blood donations a year could help
In order to motivate donors to donate blood, “the greatest logistical and communicative effort is currently required,” explained Nohe. “The baby boomers currently form the foundation of blood donors in Germany.” However, despite the removal of the upper age limit, many older people are no longer allowed to donate due to medication or illness. This is why young people are particularly in demand: “Even two blood donations per year could help.”
If the situation does not improve, further planned operations in hospitals will be postponed. Nohe: “Basically, blood cannot be produced artificially. If no one went to donate blood anymore, it would quickly end in a major catastrophe.”
Who can donate blood and where can you do so in Berlin?
Anyone who is at least 18 years old and weighs more than 50 kilograms is eligible to donate blood. Candidates should be healthy and feel fit. Interested parties can take a check on the Website of the German Red Cross make.
In particular, people with an infection should not donate blood in order not to endanger their health or that of the recipient. After a mild cold without fever, those affected should wait a week after they are free of symptoms before donating. After a flu infection with more severe symptoms or influenza, the waiting period is four weeks. Anyone who has had to take an antibiotic should also not donate blood again until four weeks after the last day of taking it.
Contact points for potential donors in Berlin are the Alexa shopping center in Mitte and the Blood donation center at Hindenburgdamm 30A in Steglitz. The private Blood donation service Haema maintains donation centers in Charlottenburg, Gesundbrunnen, Marzahn, Hellersdorf, Tegel and at the Landsberger Allee S-Bahn station.
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