Fall in donations forces blood board to import stock

FOR the first time, a shortage in donations is forcing the Blood Transfusion Service Board to import blood stocks.

The BTSB's newly appointed chief medical officer, Dr William Murphy, last night said he had ordered 600 units of blood from Holland to stock up the national reserve. There are normally three to four days reserve blood supply but levels are down to less than a day's supply.

Asked whether donations were down because of the hepatitis C tribunal, Dr Murphy said: "[It] may well be a factor. But it's very difficult to judge that exactly because of the seasonal drop."

More than a year ago, the BTSB withdrew stocks because of fears of contamination of blood bags. At that time, it had to import blood but more than 400 donors responded to the crisis by queuing outside the board's Cork and Dublin headquarters to replenish supplies.

But Dr Murphy believed this week's Dutch blood stocks were the first imports because of a fall in donations. The spokesman for the BTSB could not be contacted last night to confirm this.

Earlier, the spokesman confirmed a report in the Sunday Tribune that blood stocks were seriously low. There was a seasonal factor as donations were usually lower at this time of the year and this had been compounded by the "flu" epidemic in early January, he said.

Fewer people gave blood and those on lists for elective surgery were postponing operations until the numbers recovered. In the last week surgical operations had increased dramatically, he said.

Hospitals need around 3,500 units of blood a week. Donations, normally around 450 to 550 units a day, are down to about 2,000 units per week. Dr Murphy, a consultant haemotologist appointed to the BTSB last November, said the British blood bank reported its donations were down by around 50 per cent.

Dr Murphy had telephoned various blood banks around mainland Europe for extra blood stocks last week.

"I anticipate that we should be out of the woods by this time next week. We're asking hospitals to review their usage," Dr Murphy said. This may mean that operations will be postponed today and tomorrow.

Dr Murphy hoped the "public response" would pull the BTSB out of the shortage. The BTSB will be advertising heavily for all blood types, especially negative blood types which can be used by hospitals where the blood type of a patient is unknown.

Since the hepatitis C contamination became public, politicians and BTSB officials have stressed the importance of maintaining public confidence in the BTSB to maintain blood supply.

"Donations seem to have remained steady throughout the establishment of the expert group, publication of its report, the death of Mrs Brigid McCole and the setting up of the tribunal of inquiry.

Each time another wave of the hepatitis C scandal broke the board responded by saying that blood donations were holding. During one crisis a donor was asked by an RTE reporter if he was happy to give blood. The man said he had no problem giving blood but he would be concerned about taking it.

The tribunal will hear evidence from the former Minister for Health, Mr Howlin, today. And tomorrow the Dail will debate a Fianna Fail motion on widening - the terms of the tribunal following the withdrawal of the Irish Haemophilia Society almost two weeks ago.

The spokesman denied lack of public confidence in the BTSB had caused the shortage. He said there was confidence that donations would bring blood stocks to normal levels. "The donor is a rare breed," he said. "They are truly generous and open and come in whenever the board makes an appeal."