Surgeries postponed in Cyprus due to blood shortage — Cyprus Mail

In Cyprus, patient organisations warned parliament about insufficient blood supplies for the proper treatment of people with thalassaemia and other haemoglobin disorders. Due to the shortage, surgeries are being postponed, while thalassaemia patients are receiving insufficient transfusion volumes, Cyprus Mail reports.

Proposals to increase donations

Disy MP Prodromos Alambrítis called increasing blood donations a priority for the healthcare system. He proposed increasing the staff of the National Blood Centre, conducting targeted information campaigns and introducing incentives for conscripted military personnel and civil servants.

Among possible incentives, Alambrítis mentioned granting a day off to civil servants who donate blood. He also expressed concern that the Ministry of Finance had recently rejected the blood centre's request for additional staff.

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Closed blood banks

Akel MP Konstantinos Konstantinou said that healthcare issues cannot be viewed as an accounting matter. According to him, blood donation is an expression of solidarity, and the state must guarantee sufficient supplies.

Alma MP Litsa Drusiotou reported that blood banks in Famagusta, Larnaca and Paphos remain closed due to staff shortages. Her party proposes establishing mobile blood banks. Miltiadis Miltiadou, head of the Osak Federation of Patient Associations, said that patients are sounding the alarm over insufficient supplies.

At the same time, according to data from the Ministry of Health presented in June this year, Cyprus ranked first in the world in voluntary unpaid blood donation relative to population size.