Blood donors - Hospitals rely on public’s generosity

WHILE the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has largely recovered from the hepatitis C scandal, it is worrying that only 3% of the population contribute to this most deserving of causes.

Hopefully, following its recent apology to 33 donors who were infected by contaminated blood 10 years ago, the final chapter of that appalling controversy is now closed.

According to the annual report of the IBTS, more blood donors are needed on an ongoing basis to ensure essential hospital treatments continue. The urgency of maintaining blood stocks was illustrated last June when supplies ran so low that hospitals were forced to postpone operations.

While there was a 5% increase in donations last year, the challenge of maintaining blood stocks has increased due to more rigorous donor screening, including measures to prevent transmission of vCJD, the human form of mad cow disease.

With 3,000 units of blood required on a weekly basis, the country’s hospitals remain crucially dependent on the altruism of individual donors.