Help ease the blood shortage: How foreigners can donate in Czechia

Hospitals are seeing more people respond to calls for blood donors, but some Prague facilities are still reporting shortages, particularly of certain blood types.

Czech hospitals are still appealing for blood donors after a summer decline in donations left some transfusion centers with critically low supplies.

The response to the appeal has been encouraging. The Central Military Hospital in Prague said it has seen two to three times more donors in recent days than during the first half of August, while almost 40 police officers have signed up to donate next week.

But shortages remain. The Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (ÚHKT) says it particularly needs O-negative donors, while supplies of A-positive and O-positive blood are also low. Thomayer University Hospital says it is still struggling to maintain supplies.

The Ministry of Health called for more donors last week, warning that summer holidays have reduced the number of people coming forward just as hospitals continue to need blood for surgery, childbirth, serious illness and accidents.

“We cannot produce or fully replace blood,” Health Minister Adam Vojtěch said in the appeal. “One donation can help save up to three human lives.”

Daniela Dušková, head of the transfusion department at Prague's General University Hospital, said donated blood is also essential for patients undergoing long-term treatment.

“Every donor is very important and irreplaceable,” she said.

Around one in 10 hospitalized patients needs blood, according to ČTK. The number of donors has also been declining: 348,000 people donated last year, down from 362,000 in 2024.

Summer brings additional challenges. People are away on holiday, while some potential donors are temporarily unable to give blood after traveling to certain countries or being bitten by a tick.

Yes, but requirements for foreign nationals can vary between transfusion centers.

Czech Red Cross guidance says foreign donors need valid long-term residence permission and health insurance. Some hospitals have additional requirements.

Prague's Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, for example, requires foreign donors to have lived in Czechia for more than a year, have Czech health insurance and be able to communicate in Czech.

University Hospital Brno also requires foreign donors to be able to understand the information provided in Czech and to have a Czech contact address and telephone number.

Donation is voluntary and unpaid, but donors can generally take paid time off work for the donation and receive a tax deduction. Health insurers may also offer additional benefits.

If you want to donate, check with your nearest transfusion center before going, particularly if you're a foreign resident, have recently traveled abroad or have recently had a tick bite. Requirements and current blood needs can vary between hospitals.