Portugal is losing blood donors, and the urgency of the matter has prompted the president of the Portuguese Institute for Blood and Transplants (IPST) to call on youngsters to come forth and become donors.
“We are asking people who are sporadic donors or have never donated blood to do so, so that we can guarantee some tranquillity in terms of our blood sufficiency,” Hélder Trindade told Lusa news agency on Friday (March 27), the National Blood Donors Day.
Although the country’s blood banks are not in danger, Trindade explained that the country has been losing donors to emigration and an ageing population, but also because some companies have made it harder for their workers to donate.
However, things have balanced out as Portugal is using less of its blood banks. The IPST president believes this may be related to fewer invasive surgeries.
Trindade also said hospitals now have an insurance policy for blood donors covering problems that may result from donations, which came into effect on March 1.
For information on how you can become a blood donor, visit: http://darsangue.pt/ (site only available in Portuguese)
