© dpa
The German Red Cross (DRK) is asking people in Berlin to donate blood before they go on holiday.
By donating blood, you can help to ensure that patients can always be supplied with blood products, even during the summer and holiday season, according to the German Red Cross.
Donations can be made daily at various locations in Berlin throughout the summer. Around a fifth of all donations are needed for the treatment of tumour patients, according to the statement. However, donated blood is also urgently needed during major operations, in medical emergencies or for chronic illnesses.
All healthy people aged 18 and over can donate blood. In a preliminary examination, a doctor will check your suitability to donate blood. According to the DRK, men may donate up to six times within a year, women up to four times. There must be at least eight weeks between two donations. As long as donors drink enough water, avoid prolonged exposure and physical exertion in direct sunlight and observe the rest period of at least 10 to 15 minutes after donating blood, then nothing stands in the way of donating blood even in the heat, according to the DRK.