Credit: Blood Transfusion Centre
In the run-up to World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on 14 June, the Luxembourg Red Cross has thanked all those who got involved following its call for blood donations at the end of March.
At the time of the call (20 March), stocks of blood products were low and there was a risk of a shortage. Thanks to existing and new donors, it is now possible to calmly plan for the coming weeks, according to the Red Cross.
In the space of two weeks, between 20 March and 2 April 2020, a record 1,786 people came forward to donate blood for the first time. The Red Cross stated that the challenge now is to successfully handle the deconfinement period which is accompanied by a resumption of usual operations in hospitals in the Grand Duchy. With the increase in needs, it will indeed be necessary to continue to ensure a sufficient level of blood collections.
The mission of the Blood Transfusion Centre is to provide patients in Luxembourg health establishments who need it with the necessary blood products, both from a qualitative and quantitative point of view. This mission cannot be fulfilled without donors. The selfless act of donating blood is thus a long-term act: the success of the collection depends on the commitment of those who give their blood.
Each blood bag collected is processed to become three complementary components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Each of these components can be transfused to a different person, depending on their needs; in other words, a blood donation will help up to three different people. The importance of a regular blood supply comes especially from the lifespan of some of these components, for instance platelets have a shelf life of less than a week and it is thus not possible to build up large stocks.
An adequate blood supply can thus only be ensured by regular donations made by voluntary donors.
