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If you have ever thought about giving blood but kept putting it off, now really is the time. The Region of Murcia is facing an urgent shortage of certain blood types, and a two-week programme of special blood drives has launched today to coincide with World Blood Donor Day on June 14.

 

The situation is particularly pressing for two blood groups. O negative is currently at a critical level, meaning donations are needed as a matter of urgency, while B negative reserves are at an orange alert, with supplies sufficient for only two to three days. Hospitals in the region require between 150 and 200 units of blood every single day, and that need does not pause for weekends, public holidays or the summer season.

 

Dr. Marisa Lozano, director of the Regional Blood Donation Center, explains why consistent giving matters so much. "Blood and plasma donation is a fundamental pillar of the healthcare system, and it is very important to maintain donor loyalty and ensure a gradual generational transition to guarantee that blood components are available to maintain the current level of care in hospitals," she said.

 

The good news is that donating takes only a few minutes and the logistics are straightforward. Mobile donation units are visiting locations across the region throughout the two-week campaign, including health centres, workplaces and supermarkets. On Thursday June 12, donation points include the company Primafrío, the Cieza Este health centre, the Mula health centre and San Jorge school. The full schedule can be found on the Regional Blood Donation Center's website.

 

So far this year, 25,372 people have donated blood in the Region, producing 21,314 donations, with 3,192 of those coming from first-time donors. That generational renewal is something the centre is actively encouraging, since the World Health Organization emphasises that blood cannot be manufactured or substituted and can only come from voluntary donors.

 

This year's WHO campaign carries the slogan "A drop of humanity. Donate blood. Save lives." It is a simple message, but the need behind it is very real.

 

 

Iamges: michellegordon2/Pixabay and WHO