MPs call for blood donation to Red Crescent

ANKARA

Many lawmakers from several political parties have made a joint call for blood donations to the Turkish Red Crescent, as the blood stocks have recently fallen below the critical level.

Though the country needs an average of 10,000 units of blood per day, blood donation has decreased by half amid the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the recent quake disaster.

Currently, daily blood donation is at the level of 4,500 units.

The predetermined number considered as the critical level is 50,000 units, while the national blood stocks fell far below this figure, decreasing to 20,000 units.

Due to this decrease in the blood stocks, some surgical operations have been postponed.

Accordingly, while many deputies called for blood donations, some political figures donated blood to encourage others.

“Blood is essential, it saves lives. The Red Crescent is leading the way in this regard. Therefore, I invite our citizens to donate blood. I will also do so,” said Yılmaz Tunç, the group deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Referring to debates in the public regarding the Red Crescent’s applications after the Feb. 6 earthquakes, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Tokat Deputy Yücel Bulut stated that blood donation is a humanitarian issue beyond all political approaches.

“Everyone should donate blood without making it subject to daily political conflicts. One blood donation means one life saved,” Bulut expressed.

“As it is known, only the Red Crescent is legitimately authorized to collect blood in Türkiye. Blood is a very important element for human life, and there is nothing else to replace blood for patients,” said İYİ (Good) Party Eskişehir Deputy Arslan Kabukçuoğlu.

“We may have concerns about the Red Crescent individually, but everyone needs to donate blood to respond to the needs of citizens,” he stated.

Claiming that this decline in blood donations is due to the distrust and reaction to the Red Crescent administration, Saruhan Oluç, the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) group deputy chairman, pointed out that this issue is about human health.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu made a blood donation to the Red Crescent in Sultanahmet Square on April 13.

In a social media post, he invited everyone to donate blood, saying, “The Red Crescent cannot exist without blood stock. We can never leave the Red Crescent alone in this need.”

Özgür Özel, the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) group deputy chair, also donated blood in the capital Ankara.