Representative of Santara clinics: the situation is tragic, it may be necessary to stop planned operations

“After the vaccination, we will be free, but it is possible that we will open the refrigerator at the hospital and there will be no blood. This is where the story ends. You bleed in the 21st century because there was no blood. To me this seems like the biggest tragedy, especially if people knew they needed blood, they were asked to donate it, but they didn’t come, even though it cost nothing.

If everyone collided shoulder to shoulder and gave blood, we could all rest. After all, the blood is good for a month, ”said Lina Kryžauskaitė, a hematologist at VUL Santara Clinics.

The Delfi portal was interested in how he suddenly ran out of blood supplies in Lithuania.

Donors did not decline, but demand increased

According to Dr. L. Kryžauskaitė, there is a lack of blood, especially in the more popular groups, not only in the Santara clinics, but also in other centers.

“Now there are a limited number of units where we can provide perhaps limited and urgent care to patients. When elective surgeries are performed again, a reserve of blood components is needed to ensure that we can perform them. If you don’t have it, you can’t plan operations ”, explained the interlocutor.

According to the doctor, the number of donors has not decreased. Its flow is similar to that of quarantine. However, there was a mismatch between supply and demand for blood.

“During the quarantine, we really survived and nothing happened. But now scheduled surgeries are resuming and there is no doubt that patients who have not undergone surgery prior to quarantine are now waiting their turn. These operations are likely to be and will be more complicated, and their volume and flows will be large. We have to prepare for that, “L. Kryžauskaitė did not hesitate.

The doctor noted that there was a shortage of blood not only because of the resumption of scheduled services, but also because summer had arrived and the post-quarantine period was approaching, when people would relax even more and try to escape somewhere. Donors will be among the ledges to rest.

Additionally, various injuries are more common in the summer, so as donations decline, the need for blood increases.

Registration required

In the Santara clinics, the blood stores of the most popular groups, O (I) and A (II) (both Rh positive), are currently more depleted. Other stocks are still sufficient.

It is true that L. Kryžauskaitė asked potential donors not to rush to the VUL Santara Clinics Blood Center immediately, without registering for blood donation by phone (8–676) 00078 or (8–688) 62707 or via email. email [email protected]. You can also register by filling in the form on the page https://www.tavokraujas.lt.

The doctor recalled that the registration is necessary because there is still quarantine and it will not be good if there is a large flow of people, donors will begin to gather. Especially since there may be a shortage of personnel to collect large amounts of blood in 2-3 days.

Coordinators will contact each registered registrant and organize flows in a way that is convenient for both the donor and the Blood Center. In addition, the donor will be interviewed and it will be found out immediately if he can donate blood.

So who can donate blood and who is not suitable for this noble activity?

“The most important age. The person must be between 18 and 65 years old. You must also be rested, fed, and healthy. It happens that people have big problems, suffer from serious chronic diseases, but want to donate blood. A person should not have uncorrected chronic diseases, ”warned L. Kryžauskaitė.

The doctor also sent a message to those who have not been vaccinated but intend to do so: donors will have the opportunity to receive the Cornavir vaccine against the coronavirus developed by the manufacturer Pfizer-BioNTech upon arrival at the Santara Clinics Blood Center.

The National Blood Center also ran out of stock

As mentioned, the National Blood Center (NCC) also announced blood shortages. Daumantas Gutauskas, director of this institution, said that this week the shortage of blood was especially felt, so donors are very welcome.

“We are especially short of blood from the first less, first more and second more groups. We have some others, but there is a very bad situation with these. It happened that the donors of these blood groups did not arrive for a few days for some reason. We called them directly and invited them in. We hope the situation will improve soon, but it is not yet.

I myself, by the way, have the first less blood type. So when I return to Vilnius, I will run to donate blood, because the situation is not good ”, D. Gutauskas, who opened the portal to Delfi in Molėtai, where the NKC mobile team vaccinated all who wanted the Janssen vaccine against coronavirus.

According to the interlocutor, blood is lacking throughout Lithuania, but especially in Vilnius.

“Perhaps there is less blood shortage in other regions, but I would still ask donors to support us. All the more so since, if necessary, we exchange blood components with our departments: Panevėžys, Klaipėda. If a person donates blood in Klaipeda, he also rescues a patient from Vilnius, ”said the head of the NKC.

D. Gutauskas noted that summer is a time when there is always a little blood shortage, because people are on vacation: they go to the sea, to the lakes and less often to donation centers. Therefore, NKC mobile teams organize trips regularly, where blood is collected in specially equipped tents.

The interviewee urged donors of other blood groups to respond as well, as blood stores also build up: erythrocytes can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time before they are needed.