Blood reserves running low in Monaco, CHPG warns

4,500 to 5,000 blood bags are needed each year to meet the needs of Monegasque patients © Manuel Vitali / Communication Department

Donating blood takes under an hour and is (literally) vital, saving lives.

With the summer season in full swing, the Principality’s hospital is facing a blood shortage. The number of donations has fallen significantly in recent weeks, with a 16% drop in July and 41% for early August alone.

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Dr. Mélanie Rinaudo Gaujous, head of the blood transfusion centre at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, sounded the alarm when speaking to Monaco Info: “We’ve seen a real drop in blood donations, which is really going to pose problems in terms of blood product stocks for patients treated at the CHPG but also at the Cardiothoracic Centre and at IM2S.”

Why is giving blood so important?

4,500 to 5,000 blood bags are needed each year to meet the needs of Monegasque patients. A single whole blood donation can save three lives, with one bag of red blood cells, one of platelets and another of plasma. However, “these blood products have a limited shelf life,” says Dr Rinaudo Gaujous: 42 days for red blood cells, 7 days for platelets and at least one year for plasma.

“We need all blood types. Of course, rhesus-negative people are less common. They represent 20% of the general population, so the stock is often the first to become scarce,” says the head of the Blood Transfusion Centre centre at the CHPG.

How to give blood?

Donating blood is a quick and easy process that only takes about an hour. Blood can be donated every eight weeks, with a limit of four times a year for women.

To book an appointment, simply log in to the Monaco Santé platform or call +377 97 98 98 20.