Austerity cuts that did away with free medical care for blood donors saw reserves drop markedly up and down the country. Now that the PS government has reversed the decision, donors have returned in force, and reserves of almost every different blood group are back on track. Only supplies of type B- are in short supply, says the IPSP blood institute, which will be launching new blood drives this summer.
The reason for the drives is that the summer holiday period is the time that “Portuguese people have the least availability to give blood”, the IPSP adds – stressing it is also the time that there can be a higher demand on supplies as the country is thronging with holidaymakers and returning emigrés.
