Tuesday, 13th January 2009 - 10:24CET

Blood shortage 'may cause cancellation of operations'

File picture: Blood bags in storage.

The National Blood Donations Centre has appealed for urgent blood donations, saying that a serious shortage of blood, particularly 'O' positive and negative, could force surgical operations to be cancelled tomorrow or on Thursday.

The centre also warned there might not be enough blood to meet emergencies.

"We need some 50-60 blood donations per day, but so far this week we have only had 15 to 25 per day," Angelo Degiorgio, manager of Blood Donation Services, told timesofmalta.com.

He said that as long as emergencies did not crop up, there was supply for the next two days.

Mr Degiorgio said there had been cases where operations had had to be postponed by a few hours, but in most cases the people responded generously to urgent blood donation appeals.

Blood donations are received at the centre opposite St Luke's Hospital in Guardamangia every day between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. including Sundays and holidays.

Donors need to produce their ID cards.

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Comments

Robert Micallef (on 15/1/09)

There was a time when the government obliged private companies that if an employee asked to go donate blood the employer was OBLIGED to give a half day off to the employee. This half day would not be deducted from the employee vacaation leave. Why has the government not kept something usefull as this. Surely a couple half days a year wouldn't harm big companies! I do not expect that a company is immeresed in work and let half of the workforce go to the bloodbank but a system can be worked out!

lgalea (on 14/1/09)

I. Galea
Are you now denying the truth?
Ask any doctor and he will illuminate you on whether gays are more prone to disease themselves and in spreading diseases.

I. Galea (on 13/1/09)

igalea,

Gays are not more prone to disease. that is a myth, which has been proven wrong. please do not spread harmful rumours.

Roderick Cordina (on 13/1/09)

I remember times when someone who donates blood will be given a day special leave...those days there was less shortage of blood. I am gozitan....and work in Malta..how can I give blood when the Gozo center closes at noon. Perhaps it's because us Gozitans have bad blood.

lgalea (on 13/1/09)

Joseph Schembri
As far as I know they do some checks, but they cannot do an unlimited number of tests due to practicalities and even to the cost of some kits to test for certain diseases. And there are a myriad of tests that cannot possibly be made with a small sample.

Indeed, if your doctor suspects that you have some particular disease or wants to check your blood for something, s/he will specify what s/he wants the blood to be checked for as there are so many different tests for different things.

They also depend on the honesty of the person who has to fill in a questionnaire, so if the person is not honest s/he may be passing a disease to others who receive his/her blood or blood products.

So its better to be safe than sorry.

Joseph Schembri (on 13/1/09)

lgalea: what diseases are they more prone too? Don't the blood banks check for pathogenic organisms in the blood that is donated?

lgalea (on 13/1/09)

Joseph Schembri
No but they are more prone to disease.

John Azzopardi
Good point

Mark Fleri
You have been answered by Sarah Jane Gatt.
Due to the mad cow disease brought about by turning them into cannibals by feeding them bone meal and other byproducts not used by humans means that people who were in the UK and ate meat are at risk of developing the mad cow disease as do others who receive their blood.

So if the authorities accept blood from such persons they will be putting themselves at risk of being sued if someone develops the mad cow disease after having been given blood or blood products.

I feel that the authorities are right to postpone operations rather than give blood that may lead to complications later on in life.

Marianne Mercieca (on 13/1/09)

I was a regular blood donor but then I had a break when I gave birth to my children. When I went back they told me that I cannot donate since I am asthmatic and asthmatics are not allowed to donate blood either (and I have been asthmatic since I was a child). So no wonder there is a blood shortage with all these groups being eliminated from donating blood.

Joseph Schembri (on 13/1/09)

Even gay people are turned away. As if only gays engage in risky sexual practices!

John Azzopardi (on 13/1/09)

Of course we have blood shortage. How could a country of only 400000 people manage to treat all kind of foreigners who come to our shores (other europeans as well as migrants). You know their is a limit to everything,..

Mark Busuttil (on 13/1/09)

I like you Sarah cannot give blood anymore for the same reasons. It distresses me hearing of blood shortages and postponed operations and all we need is to be more generous because, God forbid, we ourselves may require blood urgently some time. Is this a mad cow reasoning!!!

Stefan Engelbert (on 13/1/09)

I am O positive and a frequent donator in germany. Once I went to St. Lukes to donat blood and was sent home because I could produce only my german ID card and my german (red cross) blood donatation card. What a pitty for the people waiting for my blood!

Mark Fleri (on 13/1/09)

Can I ask Mr. Degiorgio that if they are so short of blood why are English Nationals (and other Nationals) turned away from giving blood? I was born in the UK to Maltese parents and have lived here for ten years. Several months I went to give blood and was turned away becuase I was from the UK. Does this make sense if you are so short of blood? What is the reason why Nationals are turned away from giving blood? When will blood from Nationals be accepted? Answers please Mr. Degiorgio.

Sarah Jane Gatt (on 13/1/09)

I was a regular blood donor until 4 years ago when, after 16 year of donating blood, was told that as I resided in England before 1987, I may suffer in the future from Mad Cows disease, Now a few of my friends may say I already am a mad cow, is there no test to check if I may have it or not have the disease and if not would be able to give blood once again

Blood shortage 'may cause cancellation of operations'

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