The Dirección General de Hemodonación y Hemoterapia of the Servicio Canario de la Salud issued an urgent appeal for blood donations to the people of the Canary Islands on 9 September 2026. According to the authority, stocks of blood components have fallen; donations of all blood groups are needed, particularly O+, O-, A+ and A-. For information and to arrange an appointment, the directorate gives the freephone number 900 234 061.
The appeal is being amplified through social media and text messages to registered donors. The aim is to stabilise critically low reserves in the short term so that scheduled operations and emergency care can proceed without restrictions. The notice gives no forecast for how long the shortage will last.
Permanent donation centres are listed on all the main islands. In Tenerife, these include Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Méndez Núñez), the Centro de Salud de San Isidro in Granadilla de Abona and the Hospital Universitario de CanariasThe centre in Alfonso XIII Street in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is available on Gran Canaria; other locations include Hospital Insular, the Hospital Materno Infantil and the Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín. The centre at Hospital General de Fuerteventura is operating on Fuerteventura, and on Lanzarote it is the Hospital Universitario Doctor José Molina Orosa. On La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, the respective hospitals remain open for blood donations, including the Hospital Universitario General de La Palma.
Background: blood banks are subject to fluctuations caused by holiday periods, scheduled operations and exceptional events. Appeals to stabilise stocks were made in the Canary Islands in spring and summer 2026. The regional authority’s latest figures now confirm a renewed need affecting all common blood groups, with particular demand for universal donor groups and those in high demand.
Anyone wishing to donate must meet basic requirements: be aged between 18 and 65, weigh more than 50 kilograms, be in good general health and not be pregnant. First-time donors may be accepted up to the age of 60, depending on the rules. The directorate recommends calling in advance if in doubt. Mobile teams and permanent centres are intended to ensure access across all the islands.
The Canary Islands health authorities stress that every donation directly improves the supply situation. The priority is to restore stocks to the required level in the coming days so that all transfusion needs can be reliably met.
Editor: Clara Simonichek (Article created with AI assistance).