Much Needed Boost for Blood Donors in Portugal
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Donating blood is a very noble deed that millions of people undertake every year, which has become a crucial part of society. Millions of people are saved every year due to the generosity of people donating their blood. However, in Portugal there has been a need for a national appeal to encourage more people to donate.
The Ministry of Health and Portuguese Blood Institute felt that people has begun to forget this vital service. The appeal was excellent, and the blood donations in Portugal increased by over 30% throughout the whole country. Donations of blood had been falling over recent years, and many people had forgotten about the need for this process.
A decision was made in February, to attempt to increase the blood donation levels as they had fallen to a worrying 20%. This figure left the hospitals throughout Portugal with incredibly low stocks of A negative and O negative blood. The appeal was sent out all over Portugal, and the response was incredible.
Lisbon had the largest amount of donations as thousands of residents came to donate blood for this incredible appeal. The Ministry of Health and Portuguese Blood Institute representative spoke of her shock regarding the amount of blood donors they received. However, it is far better to have too much blood than not enough, to ensure that in the vent of problems the hospitals would have enough blood to hand.
The decline in blood donors was a result of bad press surrounding the wastage of blood, however, these stories were untrue and purely scaring the Portuguese people. The Ministry of Health and Portuguese Blood Institute confirmed that every donation of blood was put to good use, and none of it was ever wasted or destroyed.
People need to understand that in some cases not every part of the blood is used, and plasma can be extracted when not needed. However, there is never a need to destroy the blood, and the donations which are received, are always put to good use. The institute has confirmed that need to assess the storage facilities of the blood has begun.
The Ministry of Health and Portuguese Blood Institute want to guarantee that every amount of blood which is collected is stored and transported correctly. Keeping the blood safe and in top quality condition is a necessity. With over 385,000 units of blood being donated, the facilities to hold this amount need to be top quality.
The blood is analyzed and tested before being sent to the hospitals for their use; alongside the blood over 5,000 units of plasma were sent. The remaining blood, which is stored will be frozen at extreme temperatures of -40c, to ensure that the blood remains in excellent condition. The Portuguese government is hoping that the generosity of the people continues year after year.
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Published in: Portuguese Life