The Institute for Blood Transfusion has critically low blood reserves. The Institute is appealing to citizens to donate blood during the summer months as well, so that reserves remain stable and all hospitals and emergency services have sufficient quantities for patients who need it.
The Director of the Institute for Blood Transfusion, Olivera Savić, stated that during the summer, as is the case every year, blood reserves decrease while patient requirements remain unchanged.
Around 300 units of blood are needed daily for the smooth supply of all hospitals and emergency services, and the biggest issue is not just the number of donors, but the continuity and regularity of donations.
“As with every summer, blood reserves are decreasing; this is something that happens everywhere. We go on holiday, shelter from the heat, and forget that in summer, just like in winter, illness can still strike. There are chronic conditions and patients who require blood continuously. In summer, our need does not decrease, but our number of donors does,” Savić told RTS.
According to her, the shortage has been felt most acutely over the last two weeks for blood types A and O, as well as all Rhesus negative blood groups.
“During the previous day, we collected 350 units, but the day before that it was only 180. Continuity is what matters most, because blood has a shelf life,” Savić pointed out.
(NIN, 07.08.2026)