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13.09.2012

There is a serious shortage of blood and blood products from types „A“ and „O“ in the hospitals in Sofia and West Bulgaria! The low supplies are endangering the lives of many in need! The National Center for Transfusion Hematology and the Ministry of Health have appealed for blood donors with these blood types.

Docent Andrei Andreev – Director of the National Center for Transfusion Hematology explained that at this moment there are only 16 units of „O“-type blood for the entire West Bulgaria, which is absolutely insufficient. The shortage leads to cancellation of pre-planned surgeries. According to doc. Andreev, the reason for the shortage is the summer period, during which people think more about holidays, rather than about donating blood. At the same time, illnesses and the need for blood and blood products remains the same, as it is during the entire year, because „there is no holiday for it“. That leads to a imbalance between the amount of blood donors and the need for blood and blood products. Because of this, the procedures for patients with severe hematology disorders and some larger surgical interventions in a number of hospitals has lead to a serious decrease in the stocks in Sofia and West Bulgaria, the Ministry of Health Press Service reported.

With the appeal, on September 14-th two additional blood donating stations will be operating in Sofia:

– In the Ministry of Health – 5 „Sveta Nedelia” sq. – from 9.00 to 12.00 o’clock

– In the Bulgarian Red Cross headquarters on 76 „James Bourcier” str.  – from 13.00 o’clock.

Apart from these temporary stations, all who wish to donate blood can do this in the regular blood centers in the entire country. For the most affected regions (Sofia and West Bulgaria) those are the NCTH-Sofia, „St. Anna“ hospital – Sofia and the hospitals in Blagoevgrad, Vidin, Vratza, Kiustendil, Lom and Pernik. You can find information about the addresses of the blood centers (in BG only, at this point), the contradictions to blood donation, the prerequisites to become a blood donor as well as additional information about the process of donating blood itself in our „Blood Donation“ section. You can, of course, contact us if you have any questions, using our contact form, as well as through our Facebook page.

Bulgarian Organization of Voluntary Blood Donation joins in on the appeal of the NCTH and the Ministry of Health and urges all who can donate blood and especially those with blood types „A“ and „O“ to respond and help! The shortage of blood is a serious problem in the entire country, so our appeal is to all of you, regardless of where you are – BLOOD HAS NO SUBSTITUTE – DONATE BLOOD, SAVE LIFE!!!