Haut-Rhin. In August too, it is crucial to give blood: the appeal of Dr. Forny, head of the EFS

Summer is a particularly busy time for the French Blood Establishments (EFS). From his office in Colmar, Dr. Christophe Forny, head of blood collections for the EFS in Haut-Rhin, explains why. "We automatically have fewer blood collections, since we don't have those in schools or businesses. We rely mainly on the blood collections we take at the Donation Centers (in Colmar and Mulhouse) and the mobile blood collections organized in the municipalities." The latter become scarce in summer due to staff shortages, dropping to an average of between 13 and 15 per week in the department, compared to two to three more the rest of the year. Donors, often on vacation, are not necessarily available and do not necessarily think to take the time to go to a blood collection at their vacation spots.

In June, despite a lot of communication actions, event collections , telephone reminders, sending letters or SMS, the "month was bad, and it is generally a period when we try to bring in the harvests to get through the summer", observes Dr. Forny . The trend was unfortunately confirmed during the first half of July and stocks are dwindling. A national appeal launched on July 14 then had a very positive effect, for one to two weeks, but "since then, it seems to have faded a little, that is always a bit of a problem with these appeals, is that they work very well over a very short period of time".

However, the needs do not vary during the summer. With figures to support this, ^Dr. Forny says that, in the first week of August, "as many products were transfused as two or three months ago, that is, between 3,500 and 4,000 red blood cell transfusions across the entire Grand Est region." Most of the recipients of the donations have chronic needs, to treat autoimmune diseases, to accompany cancer treatments, or during hemorrhages...

Five hundred bags of blood are consumed per day in Alsace. The main need is for red blood cells, which can only be stored for six weeks, while plasma can be frozen and kept for two years, and platelets for seven to ten days. Donors are invited to come en masse to the two EFS in Haut-Rhin, at 6 rue du Hohnack in Colmar or at the Hasenrain hospital in Mulhouse. "Where we have the greatest need is for rhesus negative donors (O negatives are universal donors, editor's note ), who represent a small number of people. As soon as a small percentage doesn't come, it causes the levels to drop very quickly," fears Dr. Forny. Despite all these sobering indicators, mutual aid at the national level between the French Blood Establishments allows blood products to be distributed where they are needed; no one in Alsace has lacked blood.

The dates and locations of collections in the region can be found on the website of the French Blood Establishment: www.dondesang.efs.sante.fr/trouver-une-collecte