Hospitals are again complaining about insufficient blood donations

Supply in Duisburg
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Hospitals are again complaining about insufficient blood donations

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Last year, the couches in the Duisburg blood donation center on Königstrasse were regularly empty.
Photo: Christoph Reichwein (crei)

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Duisburg As early as March 2020, the hospitals in Duisburg almost ran out of blood reserves. Because of Corona, older people in particular no longer donated. Now there is apparently another bottleneck – and the pandemic is again to blame.

The Duisburg Blood Donation Center (BZD) has been complaining about too few donors for almost a year and a half. Shortly after the start of the summer vacation, the situation worsened again. And the hospitals are now feeling that too. “It’s vacation time, in the middle of summer, most people think less about donating blood,” says Stefan Wlach, spokesman for the Evangelical Clinic Niederrhein. Several routine interventions had to be postponed last because the clinic wants to protect the blood banks for life-threatening emergencies.

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According to the NRW Ministry of Health, up to 3000 blood units are required in North Rhine-Westphalia every day. How many there are in Duisburg at the Evangelisches Klinikum Niederrhein is very different and cannot be reliably predicted, says Wlach. Recently, there were always bottlenecks because there weren’t enough donors. According to Wlach, there are also the consequences of the two corona lockdowns last year. Many operations that could be planned had to be postponed and are now being rescheduled. “This is now increasing the demand for blood reserves in the region again”.

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At the beginning of March 2020, the BZD warned of a shortage. Shortly after Duisburg registered the first corona cases, the number of donations collapsed by 20 percent. Many stayed at home out of fear – and even feared that they would be infected when they gave blood. In November, the NRW Ministry of Health also officially called for blood donations.

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Doctors regularly hear concerns that one could become infected in the donation centers – but they are unfounded, says Wlach. “All instruments are disinfected when donating blood, and that was the case even before the pandemic. Each syringe is only used once. ”It is safe in the donation centers, after all, there are no other diseases.

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Meanwhile, things are apparently looking a little more optimistic in other houses in Duisburg. “There are currently enough blood reserves available in the Sana clinics,” says a spokeswoman on request. However, at times there were fewer blood reserves, especially with negative blood groups. At the Evangelisches Klinikum Niederrhein, however, the reserves are currently sufficient. “Emergency supplies are of course guaranteed,” says Wlach.

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In general, all healthy people between the ages of 18 and 65 can donate blood. Men are allowed to donate blood up to six times a year, women up to four times. Blood donors receive an expense allowance of 20 euros per donation in the fixed blood donation stations.

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