Blood reserves are very low: the French blood institute calls on the

As the new year approached, the French Blood Establishment was launched a new call for donations to the population to increase the blood supply. In an interview with FranceInfo On Wednesday December 28, 2022, the medical director of the EFS assured that he “20,000 blood bags missing” and “the inventory level is 20% below the ideal level to be able to treat patients”.

Fewer than 80,000 blood bags are available, more than 100,000 are needed, and 1,500 blood donations are missing every day.

To continue caring for patients, we need massive mobilization today. thank you

https://t.co/pqa4UQ8b7zpic.twitter.com/1JudzWJ8Ne

– French Blood Institute (@EFS_dondesang) December 16, 2022

1,500 daily donations needed

At the microphone of our colleagues, he insisted on ” need [de sang] which is constant. The sick are always there, the sick don’t take holidays, the hospitals are full. » Furthermore, mobilization must be continuous because the shelf life of blood products is limited. For platelets, it’s 7 days versus 42 days for red blood cells. 1,500 donations are needed daily to reach an adequate stock level.

Pascale Richard hopes to mobilize all French people by reminding that group O donors are compatible “with most patients”. He therefore encourages them to make an appointment via the “Blood Donation” application and to undergo the suitability test quickly. Note that a list of collection points can be viewed on the dondesang.efs.sante.fr website or on the “Don de sang” app.

One donation = three patients saved

A donor must be between the ages of 18 and 70. Covid-19 does not prevent blood donation but the rules must be respected. For example, a positive, asymptomatic and vaccinated person must wait five days after testing before participating in a collection.

Pascale Richard recalls the importance of donating blood: It “allows you to save three patients since it allows you to make a bag of red blood cells, a bag of platelets and a bag of plasma”.