Sir, - Two weeks ago I had a hip replacement operation in the Adelaide Hospital. Thirty minutes before theatre the surgical team leader began to explain to me the blood shortage problem, but before he could cancel a doctor dashed in to declare that there was sufficient blood for me. I was lucky, as other patients had been deferred before me. Briefly, I cannot describe the individual's pain, the reduced quality of daily life, the long waiting for an operation and all this accumulating in a last minute deferment of recovery due to a blood shortage. It is traumatic.
There are 90 hospitals with 400 operating theatres and surgical teams all ready to help the people in pain, the people in need today. I want to appeal to past donors, current donors and potential donors to help rebuild the necessary blood supply stocks back to three day previous levels.
Some simple suggestions:-
1: Church sermons on Sunday could finish with a donor appeal. 2: The officers in all sports clubs could put appeal notices in club houses. 3: RTE could launch appeals. 4: Daily newspapers could front page a donor appeal line under the top news story headline. 5: All universities and other third level education facilities, the IFA, unions, gardai and firemen could appeal for donor action in each county.
For once we don't need EU solutions for this urgent human problem. We must solve it ourselves and we can with your help. - Yours, etc.
Dalkey.
Co Dublin.