– We cannot tolerate a major crisis now, says Lise Sofie H. Nissen-Meyer, head of the blood donation section at Oslo University Hospital.
Nissen-Meyer says blood supplies are two-thirds of the desirable level.
– We have enough blood for daily needs, but now we need to raise the bar. It goes round and round, and before Christmas we have to fill the banks, she says.
Public holidays and blood donors in holiday mode mean that fewer donate blood at Christmas, explains the section head.
It does not appear
According to Nissen-Meyer, there is good recruitment of new blood donors. The problem is that many people do not show up at the agreed times.
CANCELLATION: Lise Sofie H. Nissen-Meyer, head of blood donation section at Oslo University Hospital, says many blood donors cancel their appointments. Photo: Robert Reinlund / TV 2
– Since the new year, we have been struggling with many cancellations. We don’t know why, but there is a high probability that the disease is a major cause. Nowadays there is both a new wave of corona and a lot of influence in society.
Nissen-Meyer says the Norwegians’ wanderlust over the past six months has also affected their blood supplies.
– After you’ve been abroad, at least in southern Germany, you should preferably not donate blood until four weeks after you return home. We therefore had to send several blood donors home because they were unaware of this “quarantine”.
— I recommend everyone check the guidelines on our website before showing up to donate blood, so you don’t have to be sent home, says Nissen-Meyer.
Wounds on the body are also one of the main reasons blood donors are sent home from the agreed time.
– We don’t want to draw blood if people have open wounds on the body. There can be a risk of possible infection and it can be dangerous for the person who will receive the blood, she explains.
The section chief hopes that the banks will be filled before Christmas, to avoid a reduction in hospital capacity.
It can have important consequences
– If blood supplies become so empty that hospital capacity has to be reduced, this will affect planned operations in the first place. We will prioritize whatever is urgent, says Nissen-Meyer.
One of the groups that receive the most blood is cancer patients. Low blood supplies can also affect this group of patients.
KEY IMPACTS: Lise Sofie Haug Nissen-Meyer, branch supervisor of the Oslo blood bank, says low blood storage can affect different patient groups. Photo: Martin Berg Isaksen / TV 2
– We’re not there yet. We have to evaluate it when we see how it develops, says Nissen-Meyer.
The head of the department adds that I am very grateful to all the blood donors who pass by, even if the need for more is great.
– Many have quit
The Red Cross, which helps recruit blood donors, confirms that many people want to register as blood donors. They still need more people to contribute.
– Since blood cannot be produced artificially, but must be administered and has a limited shelf life, blood banks always need new supplies. Although many new blood donors arrive every year, unfortunately there are also many who stop donating blood for various reasons.
This is what the director of communications of the Red Cross, Øistein Mjærum says.
NEED MORE: According to Red Cross communications director Øistein Mjærum, recruiting blood donors is fine, but they need more people to contribute. Photo: SALTONI, Olav A./Red Cross
According to the Red Cross, there are around 100,000 blood donors in Norway today. Mjærum says they depend on recruiting 30,000 new blood donors each year.
– 29,000 new blood donors have registered so far this year, but we encourage even more to register, says Mjærum.
TV 2 has also been in contact with UNN and St Olav’s hospital in relation to the anaemia. Hospitals have not yet responded to TV 2’s inquiries.
