Blood center appeals for donors due to shortage

Hospitals in Greece, as well as elsewhere in the European Union, are suffering from a blood shortage due to the harsh weather and a flu epidemic, according to Haris Matsouka, the president of the National Center for Blood Donation (EKEA), who made an appeal for volunteers to give blood.

Matsouka explained that the amount of blood donors give usually drops during the summer and the holiday seasons of Christmas and Easter, taking a toll on supplies. However, she added, the added burden of the current flu epidemic and the unusually cold weather have led to a shortage.