The Ministry of Health confirmed that blood banks in Panama are below the 40% mark, a figure that puts direct pressure on hospitals and emergency rooms. There are 38 blood banks operating in the country. Eleven belong to the Minsa, thirteen to the Social Security Fund, and fourteen are private. The alert is general. The Director General of Public Health, Yelkys Gil, explained that the situation is delicate and requires immediate support from the population. The call is to go to donation centers and contribute blood to cover the daily demand. Patients arrive every day. Blood is not always available. The situation is further complicated at this time of year, during the dry season or summer, as this period sees an increase in transfusions in hospital centers. From the Transfusion Medicine Department of Minsa, Erika Zhong detailed that the greatest urgency is for O negative blood. Zhong pointed out that although a large part of the population has O positive blood, what is most scarce are constant voluntary donors. In recent weeks, the deficit has complicated the care of patients arriving at emergencies who require an immediate transfusion. The Ministry of Health reiterated the call to donate blood voluntarily.
