Bulgaria Ranks Last in Europe for Blood Donation

Former Bulgarian Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev gives blood. Photo by BGNES

No more than 20-22 people out of 1000 donate blood voluntarily in Bulgaria, which leaves the country at the bottom of the ranking for blood donation in Europe.

Under European standards, the number should be around 50, head of the Bulgarian Red Cross, Hristo Grigorov, said at a national conference for transfusion hematology in Sofia.

The conference is organized on Monday, the World Blood Donor Day, celebrated in 181 countries.

According to Grigorov, there is a recent raise in the number of blood donors in Bulgaria, many of which are young people.

“Overcoming the crisis of blood donation in the past 10-15 years is a slow process, connected to the reconstruction of the values of the society, which should include compassion and willingness to help,” Grigorov said.

Awards for renowned blood donors were also given at the conference.

Radostin Georgiev, 51, from the Bulgarian city of Bourgas was one of the awarded. He has retired from the army and has given blood 62 times for the past 35 years.

“Giving blood does not have a negative effect on your health. After a certain period of time, your body needs the blood transfusion,” Georgiev said, adding that the donors should not think about the remuneration for their good deed, but only for the cause of saving someone's life.

The requirement for blood donors is to not have any specific health problems and blood-transmitted diseases. Volunteers are examined right before the donation.

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