IPST (the Portuguese institution of Blood and Transplantation) and FEPODABES, the acronym for the Portuguese federation of Blood Donors, have marked national day of the blood donor to appeal to ‘everyone who can’ to give blood, to replenish habitually low reserves.
The message is that “all healthy people over the age of 18, weighing more than 50 kilos and under the age of 65” can give blood.
This is not in fact the case: British people who were in the UK during the latter part of the 80s are consistently told their blood is not acceptable because of the possibility that it could be infected by Mad Cow Disease…
Be that as it may, the needs in Portugal right now are primarily for A+, A-, O+ and O-.
These four blood types can only guarantee reserves for four, maximum five days, and for this reason is worrying authorities, explains president of FEPODABES Alberto Mota.
