"This is my medicine": The empty refrigerator at the blood bank - and the threat to patients' lives
Every two weeks, 71-year-old Yaffa Ben-Shimol arrives at Beilinson Hospital to receive a blood transfusion without which she cannot function. At the same time, Kobi (a pseudonym), a doctor diagnosed with a rare bone marrow disease, depends on regular blood transfusions to continue working and functioning. Against the backdrop of a sharp decline in national blood stocks, the Ministry of Health and Magen David Adom (MDA) are calling on the public to come and donate: "Do not wait for the next emergency."
For seven years, the life of 71-year-old Yaffa Ben-Shimol has been managed according to a fixed schedule: every two weeks she arrives at Beilinson Hospital of the Clalit Group to receive a blood transfusion. This follows an MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome) diagnosis — a disease that causes abnormal bone marrow function and abnormal development of blood cells.
"I receive a unit of blood once every two weeks, sometimes two units," she says. "If I don't receive the blood units, it's a problem; I simply cannot function. Without the transfusion, I suffer from side effects like nausea and dizziness, sometimes to the point where I actually fall."
In light of a significant decrease in national blood stocks, especially O-type units, the Ministry of Health and MDA are calling on the public to donate at centers across the country. Blood is required daily for surgeries, births, medical treatments, and the needs of the security establishment and soldiers wounded on the battlefield.
"During the war, the Israeli public demonstrated exceptional mobilization," explains Dr. Rafael Strugo, Deputy Director General for Medicine and Blood Services at MDA. "Our challenge today is to turn that mobilization into a routine habit." He notes that the summer season is a challenging period, as vacations and changes in routine affect donation volumes.
"The need for blood does not go on vacation, and certainly not ahead of the Tishrei holidays. Without donations, we cannot provide for the healthcare system — the blood bank refrigerators are emptying. MDA needs about 1,200 donors every day to maintain the national stock," Dr. Strugo says. He emphasizes that blood cannot be stored for years: "You cannot donate today for the next war — you need to donate today for those who need blood today."
Dr. Vered Yahalom, Director of the Blood Services and Apheresis Institute at Beilinson Hospital, adds: "There are patients who are chronically dependent on blood units. This is a vital resource. If we do not donate, we will reach a situation where we cannot treat everyone who really needs it. It is enough for everyone to donate once a year so that we have enough blood all the time. This is a civic obligation for us all."
Kobi (a pseudonym), a doctor himself, was diagnosed two years ago with myelofibrosis — a serious and rare bone marrow disease. Since then, he arrives every two weeks at Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba for a transfusion.
"Besides the biological effects, this disease causes fatigue and exhaustion, impacting my quality of life," he says. "Every 10 days I feel weakness, knowing my hemoglobin level has dropped. There are no drugs that can provide a solution — only blood, or a much more complicated treatment like a bone marrow transplant, for which I am not a suitable candidate. The more people donate, the more lives we can save."
Prof. Martin Ellis, Director of the Blood Bank at Meir Medical Center, explains that one donation can save the lives of up to three people.
Yaffa Ben-Shimol shares a message with the public: "Every person who feels healthy — it is important that they donate. It is a great contribution that does not require too much from the donor. There is no choice; this is my life. I will not be able to get up from bed if I do not have blood units. Plain and simple."
