Valparaíso Blood Center reports increase in donors in 2022

A slight rise in the number of donors characterized the 2022 management of the Valparaíso Blood Center, generated mainly by the decrease in the health crisis caused by COVID 19, and the return to face-to-face activity.

During the aforementioned period, the center reached a total of 45,381 donations, distributed in 2,506 from new altruistic donors, 9,190 repeat altruists and 33,685 from family donations, which are those people who come to donate on behalf of a relative or acquaintance .

Although the number seems high, the need for a blood component is always above the demand, for this reason the challenge for the center continues to be to increase the number of altruistic donors and that they can donate constantly, as long as they meet the requirements to do it.

The Valparaíso Blood Center supplies blood components to 16 hospitals in the national territory located in the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, Atacama, Valparaíso and Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins. In this center, not only the blood extraction process is carried out, but also the separation of the components, their analysis and storage to be later distributed to the reference hospitals.

“We ended 2022 by thanking all the people who went to the center to donate blood or participated in the mobile or fixed collections that we permanently develop in the territory. Thanks to the collaboration of donors, we were able to contribute to the health of thousands of patients, who had a new opportunity in life thanks to the generosity of those who support us in this crusade of love.” said Dr. Carla Salvo Porras, director of the Valparaíso Blood Center.

Since 2007, the Valparaíso Blood and Tissue Center has focused its efforts on promoting blood donation in the population, day by day reaffirming the commitment to increase the number of donations, strengthening the work with the institutions that are part of the network and above all educate about the importance of donating blood. Universities and higher education centers in the region have collaborated significantly to develop mobile collections and talks in their educational spaces, achieving that 1,329 university students became donors during the past year.

For this year, the Valparaíso Blood Center has various challenges. Generate and strengthen existing strategies to increase the number of altruistic donors and acquire new technologies to maximize their processes and provide security at all times to donors and patients who receive the donation.