According to figures by Jornal das Notícias, some blood groups may have enough supplies for just two or three days of normal consumption.

However, the Portuguese Institute for Blood and Transplantation (IPST) disputes the suggestion that the country is facing a widespread shortage, saying the national strategic reserve remains stable.

This disagreement underscores a wider issue within the Portuguese blood donation system: while the IPST says hospitals continue to receive the blood they need, donor organisations argue that the lack of staff and cancelled collection sessions are making it harder to maintain adequate reserves.

Critical levels

The Federation of Portuguese Voluntary Blood Donors (FEPODABES) states that several blood groups are significantly below the levels considered desirable.

As reported by FEPODABES, the affected types include A positive, A negative, O positive, O negative, and B negative, with some stocks close to 40 percent of the recommended level.

This warning follows an earlier appeal from FEPODABES in July, when it said B negative and O positive supplies were sufficient for only one or two days, while A negative, B positive and O negative had between three and five days of reserves, adding that Portugal requires around 1,000 to 1,100 blood donations every day to meet demand.

In contrast, the IPST gives a less severe assessment, as its figures for 4 August showed national reserves ranging from 11 days for A negative to 29 days for AB negative, with overall erythrocyte-component stocks similar to the same date in 2024 and higher than in 2023 and 2022.

The institute says the situation is broadly stable in the North, Centre, Lisbon, and Tagus Valley, where the main regional exceptions are B positive in Alentejo and B negative and O positive in the Algarve, with stocks below the desired level.

Cancelled donations

Donor organisations emphasised that the pressure cannot simply be attributed to the usual summer drop in donations.

Paulo Cardoso, President of the Federation of Blood Donor Associations of Portugal, has pointed to shortages of doctors and nurses, saying some collection sessions have had to be cancelled, which the federation argues wastes the work of local donor associations and can discourage volunteers.

The IPST recognises that it is facing human-resource constraints but assures that the impact has been limited. Between January and 30 June 2026, 40 blood collection sessions were postponed due to a lack of staff, representing 1.8 percent of the 2,094 sessions scheduled during that period.

Furthermore, the institute is introducing organisational measures to improve the efficiency of collections.

Summer season

Blood donation traditionally becomes more difficult during the summer, as people travel, take holidays and move away from their usual areas.

The IPST has repeatedly acknowledged this seasonal effect, as its summer campaign stresses that hospitals continue to need blood throughout the holiday period, despite the reduction in donor attendance.

Recent initiatives have included mobile collection sessions in different parts of the country.

The IPST and Movijovem also ran a campaign aimed at blood donors aged 18 to 30, offering a night at a youth hostel to those who contributed between 10 and 14 August, designed to encourage younger people to become regular donors and help address the ageing of Portugal’s donor population.

Limited shelf lives

Maintaining a steady flow of donations is particularly important because blood components cannot simply be stored indefinitely.

Red blood cells can be kept for up to 42 days, platelets have a shelf life of only seven days, while fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate can be stored for considerably longer, but still require careful management.

The IPST coordinates Portugal’s strategic blood reserve and contingency plans, as well as overseeing national blood safety and haemovigilance systems.