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THE IRISH BLOOD Transfusion Service has warned of a shortfall in its reserves due to a fall-off in donors which has worsened in the last six weeks.
Usually the IBTS has seven days’ supply, but is currently down to three days’ supply.
The IBTS warned it that it will be difficult to guarantee a supply to hospitals in the next few weeks without a “significant” rise in donations. In the last six weeks alone, the numbers coming to their centres to give blood have dropped 6%.
In particular demand are those with ‘O Positive’ and ‘O Negative’ blood types.
The IBTS is calling on an extra 1,500 donors over the next three weeks to stabilise the supply of blood to hospitals.
Service director Paul McKinney said the drop in donations has “eroded” the blood supply. Separately, on RTE’s Morning Ireland, he said:
We are a very low level, and that’s why we’re making an appeal for donors to come to our clinics over the next few days.
“It’s always difficult in the summer, with haemoglobin levels low anyway, but with donors travelling, and their routines disrupted because of school breaks etc, that adds to the problem.”
Struggled
McKinney added: “Over the last six weeks, attendances have slipped 6%, and hospital demand has remained constant. So cumulatively we have struggled.
We’re really challenged trying to get younger donors, trying to get people into the mindset of becoming regular donors, and that’s one of the challenges that we have.
Blood donations in Ireland have fallen 21% in five years. Worldwide donations have dropped by a quarter since 2005.
The average age of Irish donors, meanwhile, is getting older – 41 years of age compared to 38 in 2011.
In Ireland, about 3,000 blood donations are required every week to have enough for those receiving cancer treatment, recovering from surgery or childbirth and for all kinds of other medical emergencies.
The IBTS recently appointed a digital marketing manager, and are in the process of developing a new website to connect with younger donors. McKinney added:
But first and foremost, we need people to attend the clinics. We need over 1500 additional donations over the next three weeks to ensure we continue to supply to the hospitals.
The response has always been good.
The IBTS is opening extra clinics this Sunday 23 October in Wexford Town, Celbridge and Mountbellew, as well as its regular clinics in D’Olier Street in Dublin, Stillorgan, Cork City, Galway City, NUI Maynooth, Trim Co Meath, Wexford town and Killarney.
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Definitely nothing to do with climate change though, this is totally normal. Yep.
Everything climate related is “climate change” these days. Interesting fact, the temperature of the earth never stays the same and at different times in the earth’s history it has been much higher than it is at present.
@Irish Opinion: there’s always the expert denier on these stories ready with some ignorant nonsense about how the earth was hotter in the past.
Completely ignorant of the rates of change, or any science really.
We have experts who have been educated to a high level who then go on to study these things in dept who come to conclusions and theories.
And do experiments and long studies. These people all say the same thing – that we are in a climate emergency.
Then we have people for whom this truth is inconvenient, who just simply deny this and look for others who think the same.
They somehow feel their wayward opinion is valuable.
@Fozz: I love people who get their knickers in a twist over a simple fact. It doesnt fit in with their agenda.
@Irish Opinion: what agenda is that? The truth? Much better than the deniers who would rather believe there is nothing happening because reading a scientific study is hard when you can just watch a YouTube video telling you to not be a sheep or some other nonsense.
Sensationalist headline.. with a 30% chance of happening .. 70% chance it won’t lads
29 degrees forecast next tuesday for cork yuuuccckk
@Larry Roe: Ahh yes, crisp and dry time.
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