© dpa
The German Red Cross Blood Donor Service has called on people in Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony to donate blood in the run-up to Christmas.
The supply of vital blood products will once again face a major challenge in the coming weeks, according to a press release. It will be increasingly difficult to meet the demand for blood donations in Germany, especially during the Advent season and beyond the turn of the year, when there are numerous public holidays and bridging days.
During the Christmas period, people travel or are busy preparing for the festivities, according to reports. Experience has shown that this can lead to increased shortages of individual blood groups. However, patients, including people with serious illnesses or after accidents, still urgently need regular blood transfusions to ensure their survival. Around 20 percent of blood reserves are needed for cancer patients alone. According to the German Red Cross, the platelets that are important for this group of patients only have a shelf life of five days. Conventional blood reserves, on the other hand, have a shelf life of around six weeks.