World Blood Donor(r) Day

“Donate to avoid the summer shortage!”

Donating blood not only determines your blood group, it can also help to detect infectious diseases. A shortage of donations this spring was successfully averted. However, the coming summer months could become a hurdle for Carinthia.

Donating blood is not everyone's cup of tea. However, in addition to the low requirements and little time required, anyone who is healthy can donate. At the same time, it is also an act of solidarity. On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, the "Krone" visited transfusion physician Dr. Albert Sima to find out more.

"World Blood Donor Day - actually World Blood Donor Day - is about thanking the actual donor who makes it possible to produce this very special medicine, which cannot be produced artificially. On average, our hospitals need up to 1,000 units of blood every day, which is why there are always mobile donation opportunities even in the smallest villages in Carinthia, which must be used," Sima appeals.

Whole blood donation is divided into three further products
During a whole blood donation, 465 milliliters of blood are taken from the donor - that is approx. 700-800 kilocalories. The whole blood collected is then divided into three further blood products.

But which blood groups are needed the most? 
"Since the donor side has the same group distribution as the recipient side, we don't need special blood groups - we need all of them. If we have all the blood groups from the donor side, we have also supplied all the patients," Sima explains to the "Krone".

Out of around 570,000 Carinthians, only 10-15,000 Carinthians actively donate blood. Unfortunately, that is only 1.8 to 2.7 percent of the population - which is far too few!

Transfusionsmediziner und Leiter der Blutspendezentrale Kärnten, Dr. Albert Sima

Who can and may donate blood?
 Anyone who is healthy, weighs over 50 kilograms, is not taking any medication and has not been abroad in the last six months can donate blood. In most cases, factors such as thyroid medication or high blood pressure medication make it possible. Even a trip abroad to another European country should not be a problem for a donation. First-time donors between the ages of 18 and 60 can donate without any problems. "A request to 59-year-olds - please donate quickly," smiles Albert Sima. "If you are already a multiple donor, it is perfectly possible to donate up to the age of 70!"