A marathon, a “24 hours of solidarity” to collect plasma and raise awareness of the need to become donors. The S. Croce e Carle Hospital, through the intercompany immunohematology and transfusion service and with the contribution of the Cuneo Hospital Foundation, organizes World Blood Donor Dayscheduled for June 14th, an extraordinary collection of plasma with the Transfusion Center open 24 consecutive hours for plasma donations in apheresis. Donations will therefore be possible from 8am on June 14th until the same time on Saturday 15th, for a 24-hour non-stop thanks to the precious contribution of donor associations and the work of healthcare personnel.
The project has two objectives: to increase the volumes of plasma collected and to promote plasma donation. Important focuses that are guiding the organization of the entire day in a historical period where raising awareness on this issue is particularly urgent. «Italy is not currently self-sufficient in the collection of donor plasma for the production of immunoglobulins which therefore must be purchased on the international market, where in the post-Covid era there has been a decline in global production with a huge increase in costs, when it is possible to find them – explains Livio Tranchida, general director of the S. Croce e Carle hospital, headquarters of the complex structure -. We therefore took the opportunity of World Day on 14 June to make the Transfusion Center of the S. Croce hospital available to citizens for 24 hours, in a sort of solidarity relay, for the collection of plasma. The same service will be active in the Savigliano and Mondovì offices. I believe it is essential to activate initiatives like this, which have a strong impact on the population and generally have a positive impact in terms of raising awareness of giving. Let’s remember that donors are indispensable, without them the hospital’s activity would stop.”
Paola Manzini is the director of the Intercompany Transfusion Service: «We need to promote plasma collection, there is a shortage and a growing need in the pharmaceutical industry. It is a more time-consuming donation because it is carried out with an instrument that requires about forty minutes, while whole blood donation is undoubtedly faster. From the point of view of stress on the organism, however, in reality plasma donation has less impact on the body, in fact it can be donated once every 15 days, much more frequently than whole blood”. Plasma donation is essential for treating certain pathologies. «There are various hematological diseases that require immunoglobulins – adds Manzini -, and above all autoimmune diseases which are growing exponentially in the population». To participate in Donor Day you can book by telephone on 0171/642291. It will also be possible to book plasma donations at the ASL Cn1 offices: Savigliano transfusion center (0172/719265) and Mondovì (0174/677184). It is not possible to book a plasma donation if you are a first-time donor candidate.
«Those who have never donated plasma can do so by contacting us later in the usual spaces – concludes Manzini -: we direct possible donors with an initial donation of whole blood, then we also inform them about this important possibility». —
