Seznam Zprávy: blood supplies in Czech hospitals are running low as donors age

Blood reserves in Czech hospitals are thinning as the number of donors continues to fall, with younger people failing to replace an ageing donor base, according to an analysis by Seznam Zprávy. The Czech Republic has around 230,000 regular blood donors, well below the roughly 300,000 recommended by the World Health Organization. Around 30,000 donors leave the system each year due to age or health reasons. Hospitals warn that the system is increasingly fragile, particularly during holidays and flu seasons. While Czechia is a global leader in commercial plasma collection, experts stress that plasma cannot replace whole blood and platelets needed for lifesaving treatment.