Due to the situation in Ukraine, people have felt a desire to help. Regional blood collection centers are seeing an increased number of donors. And that could be a problem.

“We have large blood supplies. We can transfer it to hospitals and clinics throughout Poland, and we can also send it abroad. However, we are unable to freeze this blood. Red blood cells survive outside the human body for up to 42 days. If we assume that a blood donor comes and donates now, they are then unavailable for the next eight weeks. If we have an adequate blood supply and, say, in four or five weeks it turns out that more is needed, we can no longer collect blood from that same donor,” says Beata Kozłowska, head of the Regional Blood Donation Branch in Legnica.

“We must bear in mind that every donor must take an eight-week break between donations. A situation may arise in which there are too few donors during those eight weeks because, for example, they used their donation date earlier and the donations became concentrated. We ask people to approach the matter rationally and not all to report at once,” says Karolina Stefańska from the Regional Blood Donation and Blood Treatment Center in Wałbrzych.

For this reason, the Centers issued an appeal: if you can refrain from donating blood while remaining ready to donate it, that would be best.

“We invite you to visit the website of the Regional Blood Donation and Blood Treatment Center every day. There are little drops there. If they are filled to the brim, it means that the blood supply is sufficiently high. If the supply decreases, the drops show by how much. If they start pulsating, it means that the levels are low,” adds Beata Kozłowska.

A database of people ready to donate blood

A database of people ready to donate blood is being created. Considering that Poles are particularly committed to donating blood for Ukrainian citizens, a special blood donation readiness form has been developed. The form makes it possible to declare your readiness to donate blood. It will be used to communicate directly with people who express their willingness to donate. As the blood service, we will be able to manage the amount of collected blood rationally. The form is available on the website of the National Blood Center.

A four-day weekend thanks to donating blood

On Thursdays, attendance at blood collection centers is three times higher than on other days of the week. Why? The legislature adopted a provision granting people who donate blood two days off. As a result, a weekend for blood donors can last four days.

Who can donate blood?

Anyone who is at least 18 years old and has an identity document with a photograph and a PESEL number can become a blood donor. An appropriate body weight is important—at least 50 kg. Such people must not have had jaundice, syphilis, psoriasis or other serious illnesses, and must not have undergone any surgical or endoscopic procedure, had a tattoo, or had their ears or other body parts pierced within the last six months. As for foreigners, regulations require them to know Polish, both in writing and in speech. Ukrainian citizens can improve their language skills and then donate blood.

Telephone registration for plasma donation is available.