In 2023, 206 thousand blood donations were exceeded in Tuscany: 1.2 percent more than in 2022 – over 45 donations per thousand residents only for the production of red blood cells against forty which was the objective – and in the first months of 2024, growth became even more robust, with donations further increasing by ten percent: blood but also plasma, which is an encouraging fact given the declining numbers during the pandemic.
Plasma is in fact fundamental for the production of life-saving drugs such as immunoglobulins, albumin or coagulation factors and the increase in donations constitutes a guarantee of treatment for all patients as well as the possibility of continuing ongoing international cooperation projects.
The president of the Tuscany Region and the councilor for the right to health highlight that 2023, after difficult years, can be ascribed as the year of recovery: thanks above all to the extraordinary availability of 116 thousand donors and the dedication of healthcare workers. 89 percent of the donations were made by members of associations, one of the highest percentages at a national level.
The management of the summer was also important: thanks to a shared strategy between the department, the local health authority, voluntary associations and the regional blood centre, no summer shortages were recorded and therefore it was not necessary to resort to help from other regions. A result that allows us to look forward to the next hot season with confidence.
“The numbers achieved in 2023 are thanks to the commitment of voluntary associations and the generosity of donors. A big thank you goes to them on behalf of the Tuscany Region – comments Simona Carli, director of the Regional Blood Center -. Together with the department for the right to health, we will continue to work alongside blood system professionals and associations, ensuring a strengthening of the structures and particular attention to a fundamental sector for the functioning of the healthcare system”.
NOTE. The press release was drafted in an impersonal form in compliance with the provisions on equal conditions adopted with the calling of the electoral rallies for the European and administrative elections of 8 and 9 June 2024.
