IOL

Bulgarians have been told to take their own blood donors with them when they go to hospital for an operation.

The Balkan nation is chronically short of blood for transfusions, as the number of donors has dwindled since the fall of communism.

If you need a cardiac operation, you'll need two litres of blood for transfusion," said Toshko Lisichkov, the chief of the National Transfusion Centre.

"Surgeons in the hospital will tell you to find five donors for each of the five 0.45 litre units that you need."

Although there are sufficient reserves of blood and blood products for urgent cases, shortages often force delays of planned surgeries.

More than half of the people who undergo planned surgery take the blood they need from relatives, Lisichkov said.

Those who cannot obtain the blood this way, often fall in the hands of black market dealers that linger around hospitals.

The dealers usually sell blood from several donors, who get part of the profit.

The transfusion centre pays per litre of blood to donors, but it is not allowed to sell blood to patients.

Under communism, Bulgarians were eager blood donors, mostly because the regime left them with no choice.

Now, few donate despite campaigns trying to attract more donors.