According to the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK), only five percent of people in Bavaria who are allowed to donate blood do so regularly. Most of them belong to the baby boomer generation and were born in their late 50s and early 60s, Red Cross blood service spokesman Patric Nohe said ahead of World Blood Donor Day on Wednesday. “Sooner rather than later, they will go from donors to recipients. That’s why we need to attract young people to donate blood and create a generational shift.”
Almost 20 percent of the canned goods are needed for the chronically ill and in cancer therapy. The total requirement in Bavaria is around 2,000 blood units a day. “Currently we can still take care of everyone,” said Nohe. “But we have to make sure that there are no bottlenecks in the summer.” If the weather is good during the travel season, the willingness to donate is particularly low. If there is then an increased need in the clinics, things could get tight.
The state government’s Patient and Nursing Officer, Peter Bauer, also appealed to people in the Free State to donate more blood: “With your blood donation, you can save the lives of many patients.”