Panama’s Blood Banks Face a Crisis as They Maintain Less than 40% of Their Supply

Panama’s blood banks are operating at less than 40% of their normal blood supply, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) warned on Monday, issuing an “urgent” appeal to the public to donate blood at blood transfusion centers.  Panama has 38 blood banks, 11 of which belong to the Ministry of Health, 13 to the Social Security Fund, and 14 are private, according to a statement from the health ministry.  “Blood banks nationwide are operating at less than 40% of their normal supply,” said Yelkys Gil, Director General of Public Health at Minsa. “Therefore, the Ministry of Health is making an urgent appeal to the public to go to blood donation centers and help save many lives.”

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Gil emphasized that the situation is becoming more critical at the beginning of the year, when various activities typical of the summer season take place, increasing the incidence of accidents and illnesses and thus raising the demand for blood transfusions in hospitals. For her part, Erika Zhong, head of the Department of Transfusion Medicine and Blood Services at the Ministry of Health (Minsa), specified that they require “blood donors with type O negative blood, as it is the universal blood type and can be used by anyone.” “Although most of the population has type O positive blood, what we urgently need are volunteer donors to keep blood banks stocked,” Zhong explained. She added that in recent weeks there has been a blood shortage that makes it difficult to adequately treat patients arriving at emergency rooms. “Minsa reiterates the importance of voluntary blood donation as a gesture of solidarity and love that saves lives,” the official statement noted.