During this vacation period, blood donations decrease dangerously. The University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) sound the alarm: it lacks about 400 pockets of blood for the whole canton.
During the holidays, and especially in summer, the situation becomes more and more complicated at the Center for Blood Transfusions in Geneva. This year particularly, there is a 25% drop in donations.
>> Read also: Transfusion centers always looking for blood donations
For the whole canton of Geneva, there are currently less than 1000 pockets of blood in reservewhich is little, warn the Hug. However, it would be enough to have 10 more donors per day to avoid a shortage.
![The state of blood stocks in Geneva according to blood groups. [Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== "The state of blood stocks in Geneva according to blood groups. [Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève]")
“I realized how easy it was to do,” said a donor in the 19:30 of the RTS. “It does not take much time, there is just a form to fill out and in the hour, or almost, we are already outside.” THE HUG So encourage eligible people to make this quick but essential gesture to help patients awaiting transfusions.
Eligibility rules
Several criteria are to be met, however, in order to be able to give blood. In particular, you have to be in good health, be between 18 and 75 years old and do more than 50 kg.
The contraindications include in particular to have been tested positively for the AIDS virus, hepatitis B or C or syphilis, to have had sex with a partner exposed to risky situations, or to have injected himself with drugs.
Waiting period
People returning from travel to an area where the tiger mosquito is present must also observe a waiting period before making a donation.
“Donors sometimes travel to regions at risk of these famous viral pathologies, which are often asymptomatic for donors, but which can be problematic for recipients,” said Dr. Sophie Waldvogel, doctor responsible for the HUG transfusion unit.
>> Read also: People returning from Paris Olympics can no longer give their blood
The site Travelcheck Allows you to check when the next donation can be made according to the destination of the trip. The blood transfusion center (CTS) also controls the ability of donors on site, during each donation by means of a medical questionnaireconfidential interview and biological examinations.
MT/Edel
