Current blood stocks barely cover one week’s needs in Luxembourg hospitals. The Luxembourg Red Cross is calling on all those who wish to help the sick and injured receive treatment to come and give blood.
The latest school holidays and the many respiratory infections in recent weeks, which have prevented regular donors from donating blood, have led to a sharp fall in the stocks of blood available to Luxembourg hospitals.
Stocks, which have already been tight for several months, are clearly below the minimum level required to ensure a satisfactory situation between now and the end of the year.
The Luxembourg Red Cross is calling on all those who are able to donate to do so in the coming days.
The aim is to return to a normal stock of around 15 days’ demand, i.e. around 800 bags, as quickly as possible.
Anne Schuhmacher, Director of the Centre de Transfusion sanguine, warns: ‘ Our blood stocks have been on a knife-edge for several months. For the past few days, they have clearly been too low, and would not allow us to cope with an emergency situation. What’s more, December is often a bad month for blood donations… while demand from the healthcare system does not fall to the same extent. The sick and injured continue to need support, even – if not especially – over the festive period. That’s why we’re calling on everyone who wants to and is able to do so to come and give blood today’.