Princess Grace Hospital Faces Critical Blood Shortage During Peak Summer Months

The Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco is currently facing a significant blood shortage, with a notable decline in donations exacerbating the situation as the summer period peaks. A 16 percent drop in blood donations was reported in July, with a more concerning 41 percent decrease observed in early August. Dr. Mélanie Rinaudo Gaujous, the head of the Blood Transfusion Center at the hospital, spoke on Monaco Info about the critical implications this shortage could have on patient care at the hospital, as well as at the Cardiothoracic Center and IM2S.

The hospital's annual requirement ranges between 4,500 and 5,000 bags of blood to adequately supply the necessary treatments for Monegasque patients. Each donation is crucial as it can potentially save up to three lives by providing essential blood components such as red blood cells, platelets, and plasma, which have varying shelf lives; red blood cells last for 42 days, platelets for just seven days, and plasma can be stored for over a year.

Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Dr. Rinaudo Gaujous has called for an immediate increase in donations across all blood types, with a particular emphasis on the scarce Rh-negative blood. The Monaco community is urged to support the local healthcare system by scheduling a donation appointment through the Monaco Santé platform or by contacting the dedicated line at +377 97 98 98 20.