Campaign at the Servet Hospital to increase blood donations in the summer

It is estimated that one in ten patients needs blood at some point during their care process, whether for surgery or medical treatments.

El Aragon Blood and Tissue Bank The summer campaign continued today with a special blood drive at the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza, where staff and patients' companions showed their solidarity by donating blood. Throughout the morning, the donation point set up in the Traumatology lobby saw a steady stream of donors.

The managing director of the Blood and Tissue Bank of Aragon, Rosa Plantagenet-Whyte, emphasized that these types of events serve as a reminder of a reality that persists throughout the year: the constant need for donations to guarantee healthcare. Aragon requires approximately 200 units of blood every day to meet the healthcare needs of the region's healthcare centers.

For his part, Javier Abellán, director of the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza, who also donated blood, wanted to highlight an aspect little known to most people: the destination of the donated blood. Although donation is usually associated with surgery and transfusions, these blood contributions are also essential for numerous medical treatments. "From plasma, one of the components of blood, essential medications are obtained, such as immunoglobulins, clotting factors, and albumin, used in patients with cancer, autoimmune diseases, coagulation disorders, and many other conditions."

It is estimated that one in ten patients needs blood at some point during their treatment. A leukemia patient may require up to 200 units of blood throughout their treatment, and a woman with severe bleeding during childbirth may need up to 20. Similarly, certain complex surgical procedures require sufficient blood reserves to ensure patient safety. In specialties such as traumatology, around 40% of complex surgeries require transfusions.

The Blood and Tissue Bank of Aragon intensifies its recruitment efforts every summer to compensate for the usual decrease in donations during the holiday period. Although healthcare needs remain the same, many regular donors change their routines or are away from home.

With this objective, the mobile units have traveled this month to different hospitals in Aragon and tourist towns. The campaign has visited the Royo Villanova Hospital in Zaragoza (August 5), the Obispo Polanco Hospital in Teruel (August 6 and 27), the Lozano Blesa University Clinical Hospital (August 11), the Sagrado Corazón Hospital in Huesca (August 19), and today the Miguel Servet University Hospital.

Today, numerous hospital staff members visited the donation center. Some made their first donation, others resumed donating after a break, and still others took the opportunity to make one of their regular donations. Currently, men can donate blood up to four times a year and women up to three.

Source: health DepartmentGovernment of Aragon