Italian hospitals face acute blood shortages, prompting nationwide donation drives

Hospitals across Italy are confronting a critical shortage of blood supplies, jeopardising routine surgeries and emergency care. The Cardarelli Hospital in Naples reports a severe deficit, warning that a lack of at least 150 daily donations could force the postponement of scheduled operations. Similar alerts have emerged from the ASL of Foggia, the San Severo hospital in Puglia and other regional centres, highlighting a seasonal dip in donor numbers during the summer months.

Multiple campaigns have been launched to address the shortfall. The regional authority in Sicily organised a memorial event at Umberto I hospital in Siracusa, linking remembrance of mafia victims with an appeal for blood donations. In Ravenna, the “Notte Rossa “In the Jungle’’ festival raised funds to support blood and plasma collection. The Fidas Gela association commemorated judge Paolo Borsellino with a donation drive that gathered 12 units of blood and recruited four new donors. Nationwide, the Ministry of Health’s “Donare è l’azione più bella” campaign urges citizens, especially younger people, to donate before holiday travel.

Health officials stress that blood and plasma are indispensable for surgeries, oncological therapies, transplants and emergency treatments, and that the persistent shortage underscores structural fragilities in the donor pipeline.