Blood supplies running low in Croatia – can foreigners donate?

The Croatian Institute for Transfusion Medicine has issued a call for blood donations as supplies continue to decline following weeks of increased demand.

Currently, A negative blood is already below the required level, while several other blood groups are approaching the lower threshold, the Institute reported on Wednesday.

The Institute is encouraging all eligible donors to check the current status of blood supplies and donate if their blood type is running low.

“On Wednesday, we collected 141 units of blood. We are thankful to everyone across Croatia who donated – in total, 720 people gave blood. Thanks to the regular efforts of our dedicated donors, the overall blood supply is relatively stable,” said Irena Jukić, Director of the Croatian Institute for Transfusion Medicine, told RTL Danas.

However, she added that RhD negative blood types are always in particularly high demand.

“People with RhD negative blood can only receive RhD negative blood, so it is crucial that we maintain higher reserves of those blood types,” Jukić explained.

Can Foreigners Donate Blood in Croatia?

As the tourist season brings more visitors to Croatia, unfortunately, traffic accidents are more frequent. Regardless of nationality, anyone injured receives medical help – but can foreign citizens donate blood?

“They can, but under certain conditions. They must be able to prove they have lived in Croatia for more than a year. In addition, they must understand and speak Croatian well enough for us to collect all relevant information. This is essential to protect both the donor and the recipient,” Jukić said.

Some popular magazines suggest that a person’s blood type may influence their personality or preferences, but is there any scientific basis?

“There has been a lot of writing on this topic, and some large-scale studies have explored it. What modern medicine focuses on, and what we also study, is the link between blood types and the tendency to develop certain diseases. There is growing scientific evidence in that area,” Jukić noted.

She also praised the selfless act of blood donors across the country.

“Anyone who donates blood, even just once, has done something priceless. They have helped someone they may never meet. And those who have donated a hundred times – those individuals truly deserve our deepest respect,” she concluded.