Frédéric Cagnato, president of the association of voluntary blood donors in the communes of Poinçonnet, Arthon and Velles, does not hide his annoyance. At the end of the collection which took place on Tuesday November 12, 2024, where three donors were unable to give their blood, he wanted to make his dissatisfaction known.
“Donors were refused because there was only one doctor and he cannot carry out more than twelve interviews in one hour, tell Frédéric Cagnato The best part of the story is that these people had received text messages that morning indicating an urgent need for blood. These mishaps irritate us all the more as they become more and more frequent. »
“We must adapt the number of meetings depending on the team present”
Doctor responsible for activity in Indre and Cher for the EFS (French Blood Establishment), Mélanie Bacanu was present at Poinçonnet on November 12. “That day, I was accompanied by three nurses but I was alone to carry out the pre-donation interviews because one person was missing, explains the doctor. When there is a personnel concern, we must adapt the number of appointments according to the team present. » And when we know the lack of health personnel in Indre…
But at Poinçonnet, President Cagnato denounces a gas factory with the obligation for donors to register beforehand. “We were even threatened that we would no longer come to Poinçonnet if we continued to accept walk-in donors. When we hear that, we remain speechless, storms the president of the Poinçonnoise association. The higher authorities must understand that at Poinçonnet, with this compulsory appointment system, we would only collect 30 people per collection instead of the 70 that we do on average. »
Mélanie Bacanu knows the problem but for health professionals, this system is essential to their organization. “It was set up during the Covid era, she recalls. This allows us to organize ourselves better, but it is also important for donors. »
For a collection to be organized and for the EFS to validate it, around fifty people must have registered beforehand. Except for exceptions, like the one organized last Thursday, November 14 in the premises of Adapei, in Châteauroux, at the initiative of the association of merchants and businesses of Cap Sud where thirty donations, including ten new ones, were made.
However, there are holes in the racket. As was the case in Lignac, on October 31, 2024. To the point that the president of the Association of Blood Donors of Lignac, Bernadette Tortiget announced the end of collections in this village in the south of Indre.
Between 18 and 70 years old
This is not the only municipality in the department where collection problems have put an end to a great outpouring of generosity. Thus, the end of collections in Chassignolles and Saint-Denis-de-Jouhet was recently announced. The last one took place on Thursday November 7 and left a bitter taste for the volunteers.
Without animosity, Mélanie Bacanu points out the gulf between the expectations of the volunteers of these associations and the health professionals who must be dispatched in order to carry out a collection in good conditions. “As a healthcare professional, we have schedules and standards to respect, she insists. So, for pre-donation interviews, we are limited to fourteen per hour. And we have schedules to respect. »
If the number of donations remains constant in the department, the work of the EFS, although contested, is essential so that collections are sustainable. In Indre, the aging of the population is also an obstacle to the organization of collections. Mélanie Bacanu reminds us that people can donate blood between the ages of 18 and 70, not beyond.
