Bulgarian Ministry of Health to address blood supply shortages

The Bulgarian Ministry of Health has announced it is seeking a comprehensive mechanism to ensure sufficient supplies of blood and blood components while protecting patient rights. This follows reports of hospitals requesting the relatives of patients scheduled for elective surgeries to find voluntary blood donors due to limited stocks.

The Ministry emphasized that while voluntary appeals for help are understandable, there must be a clear distinction between such requests and making blood procurement a mandatory condition for treatment. The Ministry stated, “The patient should not bear the responsibility for providing the system with blood.”

Recognizing that administrative directives alone will not increase blood center reserves, the Ministry will organize a working meeting with hospital associations, the National Center for Transfusion Hematology, regional transfusion centers, the Expert Council and Scientific Society of Transfusion Hematology, and the Bulgarian Red Cross. The goal is to develop a unified strategy and a specific action mechanism to address blood shortages, including analyzing regional redistribution possibilities and consumption needs.