Thalassemia patients in Cyprus are once again facing a challenging situation, with scheduled transfusions being postponed due to low blood reserves.
Miltos Miltiadous, the president of the Pancyprian Thalassemia Association, expressed his concern in an interview with philenews, stating that “today, we had to postpone transfusions for individuals with blood group ‘Omicron’ due to the low reserves of this particular blood group.” He explained that “Omicron blood is well known for its compatibility with all other blood groups and is often used for emergency cases.”
Miltiadous further elaborated, “In recent days, the reserves in some blood banks, especially for blood group ‘O,’ have dropped below the safety threshold, and unfortunately, the first transfusions to be postponed are those of polytransfused thalassemia patients.”
He expressed his dismay, saying, “It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in this position, just two days after Thalassemia Day, which brought optimistic messages about the future of thalassemia patients.”
Miltiadous emphasised, “This situation is extremely disappointing and highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy for blood donation, taking into account all relevant data and utilising technological advancements.”
In conclusion, he appealed to the public, “on behalf of all thalassemia patients, for our dedicated blood donors to once again come forward and offer a little of their time to meet this urgent need.”
