Blood Bank appeals for donors as daily needs climb to 350 vials

Local healthTop News Blood Bank appeals for donors as daily needs climb to 350 vials Blood Bank Appeals For Donors As Daily Needs Climb To 350 Vials Relevant News Blood Bank appeals for donors as daily needs climb to 350 vials 3 August 2026 Autopsy confirms elderly Briton died from burns in Avgorou car fire 3 August 2026 Donizetti’s ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’ comes to Paphos harbour this September 3 August 2026 Newsroom 3 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The head of Cyprus’s Blood Bank Centre, Androula Panayiotou, appealed to the public on Monday to come forward and give blood, as daily needs have climbed to 350 vials, requiring constant restocking of reserves. The appeal is aimed in particular at those who have not yet left for their summer holidays, or who have already returned. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Panayiotou said the drop in donor turnout every August is a recurring problem tied to summer leave. The Blood Bank kept its donation stations open even over the weekend, she said, and the public response was positive. However, she warned that reserves will fall again if donors don’t keep coming forward in the days ahead. “The army helped us a great deal last week,” she said, adding that the Centre needs the support of the whole of society and is calling on anyone able to donate, particularly young donors, whom it badly needs. Panayiotou stressed that patients’ needs don’t ease up over the holidays. “Illnesses, accidents and patients needing multiple transfusions don’t take holidays,” she said, adding that the daily pressure on supplies has risen sharply. From 150 to 350 vials a day Daily demand stood at around 150 vials shortly after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Panayiotou said, compared with the roughly 350 vials now needed to meet hospital demand. She attributed the rise to more frequent and more complex surgeries at both public and private hospitals, which require large quantities of blood, as well as to thalassemia patients needing more transfusions as their life expectancy increases. The blood types under the most pressure are O positive, O negative and A negative, she said. Limited availability mainly affects scheduled surgeries and transfusions for patients who need them repeatedly, including those with thalassemia or blood disorders, and children and adults with leukaemia or other cancers. Needs are assessed continuously so that the most urgent cases are prioritised, she added. Despite the Blood Bank’s efforts to organise donation drives at shopping centres and mountain communities, where expatriates tend to respond well, Panayiotou said these initiatives aren’t enough on their own to meet consistently high demand. Most scheduled donation drives at workplaces and in communities are suspended in August, she said, because large numbers of people are away on holiday, with mountain areas the main exception. The Blood Bank is now planning to run donation stations on Saturdays as well, to make it easier for people to give blood. Donation stations open on Saturdays The Geri and Engomi donation stations operate every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, while the remaining stations run according to the scheduling of external donation drives and staff availability. Panayiotou concluded by saying that there are no blood shortages at present, but that needs remain particularly high and require a steady flow of donors to ensure supply is sufficient for all patients who need it. (information from CNA) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Autopsy confirms elderly Briton died from burns in Avgorou car fire Donizetti’s ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’ comes to Paphos harbour this September The Cyprus problem and its agendas Conditions of ‘joint concern for the good of Cyprus’ Eisai to lifesaver mou Cyprus foot-and-mouth outbreak in retreat, official says Overnight pharmacies on Monday, August 3 Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.