Hospitals in the Republic are facing a serious blood shortage in coming days unless enough people are mobilised to donate supplies.
The Blood Transfusion Service Board confirmed yesterday that if the situation did not drastically improve it would be forced to import supplies. The last time it was forced to do this was in August 1998, when supplies had to be brought in from Holland.
The BTSB supplies 67 hospitals in the State and they need 3,000 blood donations every week for the treatment of hundreds of patients, including those suffering from major trauma as a result of traffic accidents. One patient alone needed 50 units of blood last week for a transplant operation.
"In recent weeks this target has not been achieved," Ms Deirdre Healy, communications manager of the BTSB, confirmed.
"It is essential to supply Irish hospitals with safe blood supply to help patients undergoing major surgery, for the treatment of cancer or for helping premature babies. This cannot be done without blood donors," she said.
She appealed to people to give up an hour of their time this week and attend donor clinics in Drogheda, Mullingar, Cork, Carrigtwohill, Tullow and Limerick. The BTSB headquarters at Pelican House, Dublin, is also open until 8.30 p.m. today and on Wednesday and Thursday for donations.
Ms Healy admitted that the maintenance of adequate blood stocks in the Republic was a constant pressure. Blood has a shelf life of only 35 days, and special blood packs for children and cancer patients last only five days, which means a constant supply of donors is required.
She pointed out that the recent nurses' dispute had deterred donors from giving blood at Pelican House, where BTSB nurses were picketing.
Now that hospitals were catching up on lost time their demand for blood stocks was outweighing supply, she said.
"If all hospitals around the country were to order blood today we would not have enough to supply them. We are getting in about 400 fewer donations every week than we need. The situation is quite serious," she added.
However, if sufficient donations were made coming days a crisis could be averted, she said.
The times and locations of donor clinics are available on Aertel page 691 or on the Internet at www.btsb.org